Champions League Matchday 4: Eight is Enough

By: Bob | November 6th, 2007

Liverpool was putting such a hurting on Besitkas on Tuesday in the Champions League that some of their players decided that it would only be fair if they played with another player on their back. It was do or die time for some of the teams in the competition. Some did, some died and some still have work left ahead of them. Here’s a down and dirty recap of what happened and what it all means.

Group A
It was a must win situation for Liverpool and win they did. The poor Besiktas keeper Hakan Amkan might have permanent damage from the whiplash he suffered letting in eight goals, a record in the Champions League. It will still be a must win situation for Liverpool the next matchday when they host group leaders Porto, who leapfrogged Marseille with a 2-1 home win. After starting off with a pair of wins and on top of the group, suddenly Marseille look like they are the ones who might be caught by Liverpool in the end.

Porto 8 pts, Marseille 7, Liverpool 5 4, Besitkas 3

Group B
Rosenborg? Really? For the second straight match the team from Norway took it to Valencia. With the victory, they remain in second place just a point behind Chelsea. The Blues picked up a hard fought point on the road against a disappointing Schalke. They’ll be on the road again next matchday to take on Rosenborg in what could be a match that determines the group winner. Valencia are toast. Hard to believe.

Chelsea 8 pts, Rosenborg 7, Schalke 4, Valencia 3

Group C
Playing at home after a pair of draws and a loss, Lazio were in desperate need of three points against Werder Bremen. They got it. With the victory they are right back in the thick of things tied with Olympiacos for second in the group. The Greek side appears to have had their bubble burst after blowing an away lead last matchday against Real Madrid. Today they could only muster a 0-0 draw at home. Bremen somehow are still alive despite playing poorly in this competition.

Real Madrid 8, Olympiacos 5, Lazio, 5, Bremen 3

Group D
The sound you just heard was everyone jumping off of the Shakhtar bandwagon. After winning their first two games, the Ukrainian club has been spanked by AC Milan twice. It was the Champions League killer combo of Inzaghi and Kaka that lifted Milan and pretty much assured they’ll be on to the next round. Meanwhile, Celtic grinded out a 1-0 home win against Benfica. The Scottish club still has their work cut out for them with a critical home match against Shakhtar before closing things out in Milan.

AC Milan 9, Shakhtar 6, Celtic 6, Porto 3

Your thoughts on the day’s happenings? Who’s going to advance from these groups?