Champions halfway, Bayern chasing records

Bayern are looking for the 14th victory in a row in Salzburg while PSG, to get back on top, must beat Leipzig away from two defeats.

The finalists of the last edition have good prospects in the third day of the Champions League, a turning point already able to mark the path towards qualification for the second round, waiting to know if the resurgence of covid and the closure of areas in many countries will allow the completion of the group stage.

    But the most interesting comparisons concern two Italians.

The highlight is an old classic, Real Madrid-Inter, between two teams currently on the edge of the group.

It is the challenge between two old teammates, Zidane and Conte, in a somewhat complicated moment.

Real recovered in La Liga, yesterday recovered Hazard using the brace of his team man Benzema.

    It will be a delicate match because Inter are without Lukaku, their teeth are poisoned by some referee mistakes, but yesterday they barely saved themselves from Gervinho's Parma.

A knockout would compromise the qualification for both because a victory in the other challenge would launch Shakhtar (who beat Real) or Moenchengladabach (who stopped Inter).

    The confrontation between Atalanta and Liverpool is also suggestive and spectacular, with the Reds who have to deal with an emergency defense but benefit from a ruthless attack, which now has an extra mouth of fire, the Portuguese Jota, scored in the last between races.

The match between Salah and Zapata, who scored three goals so far, inflames the match that no fan would have dared to dream of before the long triumphal march of the Gasp gang.

    Even the Lombards will have many absentees, but there will be a guaranteed show between two teams who love good play.

    In the other match Ajax favored at home to the modest Midtjyalland.

    In group A, Lewandowski and Suarez, who are kept at rest on Saturday, will lead Bayern (in record streak) and Atletico to get closer to qualification in the away games with Salzburg and Lok Moscow while Manchester City want to continue its clear path in group C (exploiting of the young Foden and Ferran Torres) hosting Olympiacos.

In the other race Porto favored over the disappointing Marseille of Villas-Boas.

    Less complicated, but not obvious, the tasks of the two Italians competing on Wednesday.

Pirlo's limping Juve recovers Ronaldo (author of a brace in La Spezia) and cannot fail to win at Ferencvaros.

It would be serious trouble for the technician in case of further braking.

The Barca so far is only exalted in the Champions League while stammering in Liga, but the victory over the modest Dynamo Kiev should be taken for granted.

Many hardships for Lazio on the road to the trip to St. Petersburg: anxieties for the positive covid (the number of which has drastically reduced) have charged the team that won a daring match in Turin.

A positive result would strengthen the chances of qualification while in the other match Dortmund will try to win at home to tough Bruges.

In group E Chelsea and Sevilla should continue their path towards the round of 16 playing at home against the less competitive Rennes and Krasnodar.

Group H is more interesting: PSG must make a result at home to a tarnished Leipzig after an excellent start while Manchester United, with full points but in free fall in the Premier League, play at Basaksehir.