The big fish of the Champions League secured victories last night, but it was down to the inspiration of their brightest stars to ensure they walked away with the three points. Barcelona and PSG are setting themselves up among the favorites to win the competition. But just how well would they be doing without their talismanic leaders?
It’s back to the drawing board for Red Star Belgrade. The Serbians followed their excellent draw to Napoli in their UCL debut, with a hammering at the hands of PSG. It was Neymar running the show. The Brazilian managed a hat-trick, at times looking capable of scoring from just about anywhere on the field.
Neymar is proving his worth to PSG in a big way this year. Last night he was scored with an astonishing 88.48 points by FootballCoin. He’s offered 18 goals in 20 matches, besides contributing to numerous other goals for PSG. The Parisians are once again gunning for the top prize in the UCL, but they have every reason to fear Neymar’s absence during the stages when they’ll be facing tougher opposition.
⏰ RESULTS ⏰
⭐️ Neymar, Reus, Icardi, Griezmann & Messi shine!
🤔 Most entertaining game? pic.twitter.com/qnnVNpu8V5
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) October 3, 2018
Neymar’s blistering solo was followed up by another memorable individual performance, from former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi. Tottenham would have thought themselves in line to earn at least a point against the Catalans. After all, Spurs put in a good performance and lost little of their hopes despite Barca taking an early lead, managing to score twice and nearly draw level.
However, it was Lionel Messi’s vision, who scored twice and directed the Spanish side’s efforts, that eventually brought them a 4-2 victory. Last night Messi scored 71.85 points in FootballCoin. Barcelona look the part as one of the stronger teams in the competition. But similarly to PSG, they should fear the loss of their best player. On the days that the Argentine is in top form and his teammates are on hand to provide efficient assistance, there is little stopping Barcelona.
Liverpool were handed a reality check when Lorenzo Insigne’s late goal brought victory to Napoli against the Premier League leaders. The loss will unlikely be enough to truly damage Liverpool’s, thus far, excellent season. It should, however, remind Jurgen Klopp of the need to play into the Reds’ strengths and that the desire to experiment with different playing styles might be a costly choice.
Do you think you can come up with the perfect mix for a winning FootballCoin team? You’re up tonight! The Europa League contest offers a perfect opportunity to showcase you eye for talent. Also, create your perfect drafts for this weekend’s contests from Europe’s biggest leagues. FootballCoin will be looking to reward the top managers.
Eduard Bănulescu
