UEFA Champions League Live: Round Three, Atletico Madrid – Liverpool – Football

Salah is the best player in the world?

So the question that arose after the match was: Is Salah the best player in the world now? For his coach, there is only one answer: “For me he is the best.” Of course, there is still Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, said Jurgen Klopp. Or Robert Lewandowski and Kylian Mbappe, but for him no one is on the same level as Salah at the moment.

“What Mu did is not possible for people like us with normal feet, but it is clearly possible for him.” Gary Lineker wrote on his favorite Twitter platform: “Salah has turned into Messi.”

“Reds” – attack in the best form

So there was a lot of headache for Atletico coach Diego Simeone, who had no relief at the weekend. Roberto Firmino, who struggled with his form for most of pre-season, called himself the headlines with a treble.

It almost came with the fact that Sadio Mane scored his 100th Premier League goal after Salah’s preparatory work – and only reached that mark as the third player without scoring a single penalty. Liverpool’s attacking values ​​are impressive: the club has scored at least three goals in eight of their 11 games this season.

Defensive, offensive eh

On the other hand, Atletico is a team that has been closing doors more reliably than any other team in years. Only once – in a 2-2 draw against Villarreal – the Spanish champions have conceded two goals this season. You are struggling on the other side of the field. Former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez (82 goals in 133 games for the Reds) has not scored more than two goals so far.

Four points in the group suggest that Atlético will once again rely on tried and tested tactics this time around. In 2020, it worked out excellently in the last 16 of La Liga, when the Spaniards knocked out the former champions 4-2 from the competition.

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Video: Liverpool’s preparations for the Atletico match:

Can the sheriff continue to surprise?

Sheriff of Tiraspol, who wants to write a continuation of the excellent fairy tale at Inter Milan, also succeeded in counter-tactics. The club from the Republic of Moldova has already exceeded expectations by beating Shakhtar Donetsk (2:0) and Real Madrid (2:1) and can easily play at the San Siro. After just one point and their first defeat of the season in Serie A (1:3 in Lazio), Inter are under pressure.

The Madridists, led by David Alaba, who have three points, are visiting Ukraine. Shakhtar earned a reputation as a true pre-season scare, winning both games (3-2 in Madrid, 2-0 in Kiev). After all, the Spaniards managed to prepare for the trip without any inconvenience after the tournament match was postponed.

The league had postponed the match because the white South American ballet players were unable to return from their international duties in time. Los Blancos face a lot after their last three matches without a win – including a stigma against Tiraspol.

Leipzig with its back to the wall

For Leipzig, Konrad Laimer and coach Jesse Marsh are a last chance to step up. The German runner-up is still in Group A without any points in Paris. “The calculations in the group are clear. We need the points. We have to defend well against Messi, Neymar and Mbappe,” Marsh said on Monday, when he did not yet know Neymar would be without groin problems.

It is the fourth direct duel since August 2020, the main team of Paris Saint-Germain, who has four points, won twice, and Leipzig won once. In the parallel match, England champions Manchester City want to overtake the Belgians (4) who are leading by one point with their victory in Bruges.

In Group C, Ajax Amsterdam or Borussia Dortmund can make an initial decision. The winner of the duel then stops at a maximum of nine points. Besiktas Istanbul and Sporting were not counted before the confrontation. The two best teams qualify for the Round of 16.

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