UEFA Champions League 2019-20: 3 Standout Matchday 5 games you cannot miss
The 28th season of the UEFA Champions League has lived up to it's billing and we have seen some scintillating individual displays along with a few sensational comeback victories as well.
Norwegian striker Erling Braut Haaland and Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Mislav Orsic were the star performers on the first matchday when the duo became the first pair of debutants to bag Champions League hat-tricks in the same season.
Haaland has since continued his goal-scoring exploits by becoming only the third player to score in his first four games in the competition, as the Norwegian teenager remains on course to emulate Cristiano Ronaldo's record of scoring in every group-stage game.
Bayern Munich, Juventus, and Paris Saint-Germain sealed their respective passage to the knockout round with two games to spare. The trio, along with Manchester City, Napoli, and Barcelona, remain the only unbeaten teams in the competition.
As the fifth matchday gets underway this week, all teams except Galatasaray, Genk, and LOSC Lille are in contention for a place in the knockout round. Let us look at 3 marquee match-ups on Matchday 5 which have qualification/group position implications for both teams.
#3: Juventus vs Atletico Madrid
Following a galling 2-1 defeat at Bayer 04 Leverkusen on Matchday 4, second-placed Atletico Madrid travel to Italian champions Juventus on the fifth day of group-stage matches of the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League. Juventus are one of 6 unbeaten teams left in the competition and have sealed their passage into the Round of 16.
In five previous matches in the competition between Juventus and Atletico, the Italian side's 3-0 win in the second leg of last season's Round of 16 remains their only win, while Atletico have triumphed twice, with two matches drawn.
A win for the Bianconeri would confirm them as group winners, while Atletico need a win to qualify for the knockout round. Atletico would also qualify for the knockout round if their game at Juventus ends in a draw and the Lokomotiv Moscow-Bayer Leverkusen game also ends in a stalemate.
Cristiano Ronaldo's 25 goals against Atletico is the most goals scored by the Portugal captain against any side. Ronaldo's hat-trick in the Round of 16 second-leg against Atletico helped Juve overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit and progress to the knockout round.
#2: Real Madrid vs Paris St. Germain
Paris Saint-Germain, who have already qualified for the knockout stages, travel to a rejuvenated Real Madrid on Matchday 5 of the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League.
The French champions are the only side in this season's competition yet to concede a goal and along with Bayern Munich, are the only other side to have won on each of the four matchdays.
In 5 previous Champions League meetings between the two sides, Madrid have won thrice and drawn once, while their only defeat came on Matchday 1 of this season's competition where the 13-time champions were sunk by a brace from their former player Angel Di Maria on Matchday 1.
Since dropping 5 points in their first two games in the Champions League this season, Madrid are on a two-game win streak, scoring 7 unanswered goals past Galatasaray across two matchdays.
A win over the French side would confirm Madrid's passage to the Round of 16. Madrid would also qualify for the knockout round if third-placed Club Brugge do not win at Galatasaray. PSG would be confirmed as group winners if they avoid a defeat at the Bernabeu.
#1: Liverpool vs Napoli
Liverpool and Napoli would renew acquaintances for the fourth time in two seasons when Napoli visit the reigning Champions League winners on Matchday 5. Liverpool are the only group-leaders in this season's competition to have conceded a goal on each matchday.
In each of their three previous meetings between Liverpool and Napoli in the Champions League, the home side won on each occasion (Liverpool once, Napoli twice), and each time the visiting side failed to get on the scoresheet. If the trend were to continue at Anfield on Matchday 5, Liverpool would qualify for the knockout round as group winners.
Regardless of the result in the Liverpool-Napoli game, if Salzburg do not win at Genk, both Liverpool and Napoli would qualify for the Round of 16. Napoli would also qualify for the knockout round if they win at Anfield.