The UEFA Champions League group phase reached mid-point during the week yet a lot of big names are still caught in no man's land.

 

 

 

 

 

Real Madrid's campaign has been the biggest shock of them all as the defending champions was ought to confirm their resurrection status with a home win against Milan but faltered in another humiliating night in the Bernabeu.

Three of the four Premier league clubs have their unbeaten run in the competition ended as Manchester City, Aston Villa and Arsenal fell to Sporting CP in Portugal, Club Brugge in Belgium and Inter in Italy respectively.

Liverpool remains the only team with a perfect record, while Leipzig and a few others remain without a point. Meanwhile Barcelona move into the top eight after a big win away to Red Star Belgrade.

In this article, we take a look at the major showstoppers in Europe's biggest club competition during the concluded round on Wednesday.

Hat-trick hero, Luis Diaz of Liverpool vs. Bayer Leverkusen

Luis Diaz delivered a masterclass second-half performance to help Liverpool blow Bayer Leverkusen away under the lights in Anfield with a hat-trick in a 4-0 win in the UEFA Champions League.

 

The Colombian winger dazzled the Leverkusen defence with his lightning-quick runs and precision passing, which have improved significantly under Arne Slot.

After a goalless first-half, Diaz broke the deadlock seconds after the hour mark, getting on the end of a Curtis Jones through ball to find the back of the net with a chip over the onrushing goalkeeper.

Diaz then scored his second and Liverpool's third of the night, seven minutes from time, picking up Mohamed Salah's cross and slotting past Hradecky.

He completed his hat-trick deep into stoppage time with a tap in from close range, after a blocked shot fell kindly in his path.

Diaz has now scored nine goals across all competitions for Liverpool this season, while adding two more assists. He continues his good form, while Liverpool's season also continues to get better.

Hat-trick hero Viktor Gyokeres beat Erling Haaland in Sporting CP vs Manchester City

Viktor Gyokeres came up against Erling Haaland in the battle of the big No.9s and it was the Swede who came out on top in sensational fashion, scoring a hat-trick to help seal a 4-1 comeback win the host.

 

 

 

 

Despite taking a four-minute lead in Lisbon, Manchester City fell to a third straight defeat as Ruben Amorim’s Sporting CP inflicted their first UEFA Champions League loss of the season.

After Foden's opener, Viktor Gyokeres leveled the score with a composed finish in the 38th-minute following a through ball from teenage defender Geovany Quenda. It was the first goal conceded by City in the competition, and things got even worse after the interval.

Araujo scored to complete the comeback seconds after the restart, while Gyokeres got his second to give the host a breathing space from the spot three minutes later, as Gvardiol was penalized for a foul on Trincao.

Gyokeres completed his hat-trick to seal a 4-1 win from the spot ten minutes from time. This time, former Sporting midfielder Matheus Nunes was the guilty party, and was booked for bringing down Catamo in the area.

Although it wasn't his best night in the perspective of other statistics, but a hat-trick of goals against a Manchester City side is a dream performance, and Gyokeres, who now has 23 goals and four assists across 17 club games this season is one of the major standout performers of the UCL round four.

Geogiy Sudakov stars in Donesk vs. Young Boys

Ukrainian midfielder Georgiy Sudakov was instrumental as Shakhtar Donesk picked up their first UEFA Champions League win of the season at home to Young Boys.

 

 

 

 

The visitors drew the first blood just three minutes shy of the half-hour, but it lasted less than four minutes as Sudakov got in behind the defence to connect with a through ball, square it across the goal for Zubkov to finish with a tap in.

The 22-year-old then scored the eventual matchwinner with four minutes of the first-half left to play. He sets himself up nicely after receiving the ball from teammate Eguinaldo, fired his shot from outside the area and managed to find the back of the net.

Sudakov's performance helped Shakhtar keep their European hopes alive, while he takes his goal involvements across all club competitions this season to twelve.

Jules Kounde the playmaker in Red Star Belgrade vs Barcelona

While multiple players bagged hat-trick of goals during the week in Europe, it was a defender in Jules Kounde who shone brightest in the highest scoring fixture.

 

 

 

The Frenchman assisted three of Barcelona's five goals as they thrashed their host Red Star Belgrade 5-2 in Serbia, starting with the club's third of the game, eight minutes after the restart to help Robert Lewandowski complete his brace.

Two minutes later, he set up Raphinha four Barcelona's fourth goal of the night, with a cutback from the by-line, and the Brazilian applied the finish for his only goal of the night.

Kounde completed a hat-trick of assists in the same fashion with 14 minutes of normal time left to play. This time, it was substitute Fermin Lopez who applied the finish.

Only Mohamed Salah now has more Champions League assists than his three this season, while the Frenchman now has four Barcelona assists across all competitions, as many as his total in the entirety of last season.

Oscar Gloukh delivered Salzburg vs Feyenoord

Not all the time do you see an Israeli lighting up the scene in the biggest club competition in Europe but on Wednesday, 20-year-old oscar Gloukh delivered one of those rare performances.

 

 

 

 

After as many defeats in their opening three games in the competition this season, Salzburg finally picked up their first UEFA Champions League win away to Feyenoord in the Netherlands on Wednesday.

Gloukh assisted the opener, sending in a perfect cross for striker Konate to head home in the second minute of added time in the first-half, after Feyenoord goalkeeper Wellenreuther carelessly gave the ball away.

He got his second assist of the night, five minutes after the host scored to make it 2-1, and a minute after Konate missed the chance to score a hat-trick from the spot.

Gloukh setup defender Daouda Guindo, who fired home a spectacular shot to take the game beyond Feyenoord, sealing a 3-1 win for the visitors.

• 6 completed dribbles
• 8 duels won
• 1 big chance created
• 3 chances created

Meanwhile it was a performance that could mark a return to form for the youngster, who started the season in exceptional fashion but had slow down in recent weeks. How now has ten goal contributions for Salzburg this season.

Sandro Kulenovic can't stop scoring for Zagreb vs Slovan Bratislava

Striker Sandro Kulenovic continued his red hot form on Tuesday night with a brace away to Slovan Bratislava to help Dinamo Zagreb secure a second UEFA Champions League win  of the season in a 4-1 scoreline.

 

 

 

 

After conceding a fifth minute opener to a David Strelec goal for the host, Dinamo completed the comeback on the half-hour, with Petar Susic heading home a Marko Pjaca cross for 2-1, after Dario Spikic had  leveled the score with a composed solo goal in the 10th minute.

Kulenovic scored his first of the night to make it 3-1 against the run of play six minutes before the hour mark. The bal fell kindly to him following a deflection off a Slovan defender, and he put it away.

He completed his brace in the 72nd minute from a Pjaca asisst, making it 4-1 and sealing an impressive back-to-back UCL win for the Croatian side and as well taking his goal count to 14, which is already more than he had in the entirety of last season, 11.

Nicolas-Gerrit Kuhn leave Celtic in dreamland vs. Leipzig

Inspired by the German, Celtic returned to winning ways in the UEFA Champions League after seeing off German side RB Leipzig, who remains without a point halfway through the group campaign following the 3-1 defeat.

 

 

 

The visitors had a dream start as Christopher Baumgartner opened the scoring midway through the first-half, heading home at the far post after Celtic failed at convincingly deal with a Kampl cross.

The lead lasted more than ten minutes before Kuhn responded with the equalizer, curling home a spectacular strike which ricochet off the woodwork and into the net, following a pass from Arne Engels.

The comeback was completed in the first minute of added time in first-half as Kuhn doubled his tally on the night, connecting with a Greg Taylor ball at the far post to make it 2-1.

Hatate ensured safety of the points with the only goal after the interval but Kuhn, who now had five goals and six assists in 13 Celtic games this season was the star of the show.

Player of the Week

 

 

 

 

Luis Diaz of Liverpool takes the crown following his second-half hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen in Anfield, all goals which were scored from open play.