Champions League: Teenager makes Champions League history; Liverpool romps to win

It has been another thrilling night of Champions League action with plenty of history made by a number of players

Lionel Messi was unsurprisingly one of those, becoming the first player to score in 15 consecutive Champions League seasons.

Erling Braut H?land, at just 19 years of age, became the first player to score SIX goals in his first three Champions League matches.

And Dries Mertens overtook Diego Maradona to move into second on Napoli’s all-time goalscorer list.

The competition takes another brief break but we’ll be back when the action returns in two weeks’ time.

See you then!

This is what it feels like to score the winner seconds after conceding an equalizer!

Napoli twice recovered from giving away the lead to secure all three points against Salzburg, with the whole squad piling onto coach Carlo Ancelotti to celebrate.

Napoli players celebrate the winning goal against Salzburg.

Kalidou Koulibaly celebrates with Napoli fans after the match.

Liverpool’s comprehensive victory was marred by a racist banner which had been hung up in the club’s away end.

The banner featured a picture of Origi’s head on a naked body standing next to the Champions League trophy and was taken down before the game had kicked off after the club was made aware of its presence.

Liverpool insists it will take action against those responsible for the banner.

“To be clear, the image used perpetuated a racist stereotype,” the club said in a statement sent to CNN. “This is completely unacceptable.

You can read more about the racist incident, which is one of a growing number this season, here.

Despite the victory, Jurgen Klopp didn’t seem totally overjoyed with what he saw this evening.

Liverpool’s German coach praised his side going forward but, ahead of a difficult English Premier League match at home to Spurs this weekend, knows his side have a lot to improve on.

Here he is speaking to BT Sport:

He may have ended up on the losing side this evening, with his Salzburg side losing 3-2 at home to Napoli, but Erling Braut?H?land still made a piece of history.

The 19-year-old became the first player to score SIX goals in his first three Champions League matches.

Surely Europe’s biggest clubs will be fighting among themselves to sign this teenage sensation come the end of the season.

Erling Braut H?land celebrates his second goal against Napoli.

Lionel Messi and co. will return to Barcelona happy enough with the three points but they were made to work extremely hard for them.

Luis Suarez’s scrappy winner was eventually given as a Peter?Olayinka own goal, which means the Uruguayan striker has not registered an away goal in the Champions League for 20 matches – a run stretching four years.

Lionel Messi scored as Barcelona edged past Slavia Prague.

In the end, Liverpool just had too much quality for its Belgian opponent.

At 1-0, you wouldn’t have ruled out a Genk equalizer but a stunning second goal from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain put the game beyond reach. Sadio Mane scored the third, with Mo Salah adding the fourth.

Despite conceding a sloppy late goal, Jurgen Klopp will be very pleased with his side’s performance as it picks up an away win in the Champions League group stages for the first time in two years.

Mo Salah celebrates scoring Liverpool's fourth goal.

This scoreline is perhaps a tad harsh on Genk which has acquitted itself well against the reining champion.

Mo Salah scores a brilliant individual goal for Liverpool’s fourth, holding off his man and cutting through Genk’s defense before rolling it into the far corner.

But just after the restart, a mistake from Dejan Lovren gifts the home side possession and Stephen?Odey drills the ball home after good work from Dieumerci?Ndongala.

It’s a well-deserved consolation goal for the Belgian team.

Jurgen Klopp’s side put the game to bed with a trademark attacking move.

All of the front three are involved in a sumptuous goal; Roberto Firmino feeds to ball into Mo Salah, who in turn threads a ball into Sadio Mane’s path.

It’s a delightful finish from Mane to round off the move, as the forward dinks the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper.

Dries?Mertens has scored his second goal of the night to give Napoli a crucial 2-1 lead away to Salzburg.

But beyond potentially securing all three points for his team, the Belgian has gone ahead of Maradona in Napoli’s goalscoring charts.

Tonight he’s scored his 115th and 116th goals for the club, putting him one ahead of the Argentine and into second place (behind only Marek Hamsik, who has 121).

Club legend.

Dries Mertens surpasses Diego Maradona in the goalscoring charts.

What. A. Goal.

Genk will feel aggrieved to be 2-0 down now after playing some slick football this half, but it’s a moment of incredible individual brilliance that extends Liverpool’s lead.

The ball is pulled back to the edge of the area and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – being closely marked by a Genk defender – stabs at the ball with the outside of his boot and bends it off the crossbar and in.

Stunning.

Well that didn’t last long …

Slavia Prague was level for all of seven minutes before Luis Suarez regains the lead for Barcelona.

It’s taken a deflection off Peter?Olayinka and might go down as an own goal.

Well, well, well …

A Slavia Prague equalizer certainly looked on the cards in that first half and it has taken just five minutes of the second period for the Czech side to find one.

Some lovely passing on the edge of the box splits the Barcelona defense and Jan?Boril applies the finishing touch.

In an earlier statement, Liverpool confirmed to CNN that it had removed a racist banner displayed in the stadium by its own fans.

Later in the first half, one Reds supporter shows that the acts of one individual doesn’t represent the whole fanbase.

A Liverpool fan holds a banner aloft during the first half.

Here’s how it looks at the interval:

Salzburg 1-1 Napoli

Genk 0-1 Liverpool

Inter Milan 1-0 Borussia Dortmund

Slavia Prague 0-1 Barcelona

Benfica 1-0 Lyon

Lille 0-0 Valencia

When Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain gave Liverpool the lead inside two minutes, it was looking like this could be a long night for Genk.

But the Belgian side has come back brilliantly and created a number of really good opportunities.

Captain Mbwana Samatta actually had the ball in the back of the net but his thundering header was ruled out by VAR for a very, very tight offside.

Liverpool players celebrate Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's early goal.

Barcelona takes a 1-0 lead into the interval but it owes a great deal of gratitude to goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

The German stopper has produced two fine saves as Slavia fought back after going behind to Lionel Messi’s early strike.

Barca has been warned – you get the feeling this one’s not over yet.

Lionel Messi scored the only goal of the first half in Prague.

Erling Braut H?land is at it again. He’s just scored his 19th of the season for Salzburg to level it up at 1-1 against Napoli.

Dries Mertens’ first-half strike has given Napoli the lead against Salzburg in Austria.

It’s his 115th goal for the club and takes him level with a certain Diego Maradona.

You wouldn’t bet against the 32-year-old Belgian grabbing another before the night is out.

Barcelona should have this game wrapped up already but it’s still only 1-0 to the Spanish champion in Prague.

Luis Suarez is the latest man to go close, firing over the crossbar when he looked set to extend his side’s advantage.

Slavia, which was beaten 2-0 at home by Borussia Dortmund in its previous game, is trying to hang in there until the interval.

And with just one goal in it, you never know.

That goal will banish many of the bad memories Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has of the last 18 months.

A cruciate knee injury against Roma in the semifinals two seasons ago robbed the Englishman of playing in the 2018 final, though he was a substitute for the 2019 final.

His reintroduction into the first team has been a slow process but it finally looks as though the 26-year-old is finding his form of old.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain celebrates giving Liverpool an early lead.

Lionel Messi is at it again.

You get the feeling records are only there for him to break.

Well, here’s one more record he’s broken with that goal against Slavia Prague.

Messi’s first Champions League goal was against Panathinaikos in 2005.

And here’s one he’s managed to equal to draw level alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and former Real Madrid forward Raul.

It’s not every day you get to go up against the European champion so it’s little surprise Genk forward Mbwana Ally Samatta?is relishing taking on Liverpool.

The Tanzania star says he grew up supporting Manchester United so if there was ever need for an extra motivation, that might just be it.

Of course it was United that halted Liverpool’s run of 17 successive Premier League victories last Sunday with the two teams playing out a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.

This is what Samatta told reporters on Tuesday ahead of the game.

Who else?

It takes Lionel Messi just three minutes to break through the Slavia Prague defense and fire Barcelona ahead.

The little magician finishes off an intricate passing move to give Barca the perfect start in the Czech capital.

That’s his 113th Champions League goal – just 14 fewer than all-time leader Cristiano Ronaldo.

Lionel Messi celebrates with his Barcelona teammates after opening the scoring in Prague.

Unless you’ve been living in a cave or set up home in outer space, there’s a good chance you’ll have already heard of Erling Braut H?land.

The Red Bull Salzburg striker has become one of the most sought after young players in European football following his Champions League exploits.

He has already scored 18 goals in 12 appearances for the Austrian club this season, including a hat-trick against Genk in the opening game.

Manchester United have been linked with the 19-year-old Norwegian, whose father Alf-Inge Haaland played for Leeds and Manchester City.

Erling Braut H?land?has scored 18 goals in 12 appearances so far this season.

H?land, who scored in his side’s remarkable 4-3 defeat at Liverpool last time out, will be hoping to go better against Napoli on Wednesday.

Liverpool has condemned those responsible for hanging a racist banner depicting striker Divock Origi.

The banner which was widely photographed and shared on social media, has been removed from the stadium in Genk.

Here’s what the statement says:

The Reds waste no time here in Belgium, as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – playing in the Champions League for the first time since an injury 18 months ago – drills a brilliant shot into the bottom corner.

What a performance from Frank Lampard’s young side.

After holding firm against sustained pressure in the first half, Chelsea really came into its own in that second period.

Despite being brilliant going forward in Lampard’s first season in charge, Chelsea has hardly been solid at that back – but that was a textbook Champions League away win.

The best result of Lampard’s managerial career so far?

Michy Batshuayi celebrates his 85th-minute goal.

It’s a big night for Borussia Dortmund as it goes up against Inter in Milan.

The German side will be without talisman Marco Reus who did not travel to Italy after failing to overcome illness.

Reus, who scored the only goal of the game in his side’s 1-0 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach, joins Paco Alcacer and Marcel Schmelzer on the sidelines.

One player who is available for Dortmund is England star Jadon Sancho, who was left out of the win against Moenchengladbach after returning late from international duty.

Dortmund leads Group F on goal difference from Barcelona with both teams on four points.

And Chelsea looks to have stolen all three points in Amsterdam!

It’s Frank Lampard’s two substitutions who combine, as a tidy step over and cross from Christian Pulisic sets up Michy Batshuayi to rifle the ball in off the crossbar.

Just two minutes left to hang on!

Leading Sports Scientist SImon Brundish says Liverpool is fielding the most expensive team in its history against Genk tonight.

That includes goalkeeper Alisson ($84 million) Virgil van Dijk ($96 million) Naby Keita ($62 million), Fabinho ($52 million), Sadio Mane ($44 million), Mohamed Salah ($44 million), Roberto Firmino ($37 million).

Not bad eh?

If you’re looking for some goal action then you might want to have a glance at what Marcel Sabitzer has just done for Red Bull Leipzig against Zenit St Petersburg in the evening’s other early game.

It’s an astonishing strike on the half-volley which arrows into the top corner. No wonder he’s celebrating like crazy.

RB Leipzig leads 2-1.

Marcel Sabitzer celebrates after giving RB Leipzig the lead.

This might be the first ever competitive fixture between Slavia Prague and Barcelona but the two clubs share a wealth of history.

At the top of that list is former Slavia captain Ferdinand Dau?ík, part of the Czechoslovakia side that reached the 1934 World Cup final.

He went on to become Barcelona coach between 1950 and 1954, winning two league and cup doubles.

He also coached a number of other Spanish clubs including Athletic Bilbao, Atlético Madrid, Real Betis (twice), Real Murcia, Sevilla, Real Zaragoza, Elche, Sant Andreu (three times), Espanyol, Cádiz and Levante.

There’s also the tale of Ji?í Hanke, the only player to have appeared for both Slavia and Barcelona.

The defender overcame the horrors of World War II before moving to Spain where he enjoyed a successful career with Barcelona. You can read his story by clicking through thte tweet below.

Wow … Michy Batshuayi squanders a glorious opportunity to give Chelsea the lead.

That is without doubt the best chance of the match – for either team – but the Belgian forward somehow blazes the ball way, way over the crossbar from just a few yards out.

Arguably the most exciting tie of the evening comes from Milan, where Inter takes on Borussia Dortmund.

With just a point to show from its two matches so far, a defeat tonight for the?Nerazzurri – with a trip to Dortmund to come in two weeks’ time – would make qualification for the knockout stages a real uphill task.

Antonio Conte’s side can count itself unlucky to have come away from the Nou Camp with nothing after leading for most of the game, but was poor in the opening day 1-1 draw with Slavia Prague.

Despite the importance of Wednesday’s fixture, Conte is remaining calm.

Antonio Conte doesn't want his side to end this Champions League campaign with any regrets.

Ajax comes within inches of finding the opener!

Edson Alvarez’s clever flicked header leaves Kepa Arrizabalaga rooted to the spot … but his effort clips the outside of the post.

Mohamed Salah returns to the Liverpool starting XI to face Genk after missing the 1-1 draw at Manchester United with an ankle injury.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is out with a virus so James Milner starts at right-back, while Dejan Lovren comes in for the injured Joel Matip in central defense.

There are also starts for Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in midfield.

Liverpool lost all three away games in last year’s group stage and was beaten in Naples in its opening match of this season’s competition. In fact, Liverpool has won just once – at Slovenian side Maribor – in seven away group-stage games since the start of the 2017-18 season.

It’s full steam ahead for Barcelona with Lionel Messi starting alongside Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann. Or MSG as they are known.

Barca has won its last five matches in all competitions, scoring 13 goals and conceding two.?

Over to you, Slavia.

As 0-0s go, this has been quite an entertaining half.

Though Chelsea does have VAR to thank for chalking off Quincy Promes’ goal, Frank Lampard’s young side has more than held its own in Amsterdam.

Callum Hudson-Odoi and Mason Mount have looked particularly impressive, with the former causing Ajax considerable trouble down the left.

Desptie its dominance and slick passing, Ajax has yet to truly trouble Kepa Arrizabalaga in the Chelsea goal.

Quincy Promes slides it at the far post to give Ajax the lead ... only for VAR to disallow the goal.

Quincy Promes finds the breakthrough for Ajax … or so he thinks.

Hakim Ziyech’s shot takes a huge deflection off Fikayo Tomori and Promes arrives at the far post to tap into an empty net.

He turns towards the linesman, who keeps his flag down, and runs to the corner to celebrate.

But VAR has other ideas and, after replays show Promes’ shoulder was a few centimeters offside, disallows the goal.

That is a huge let off for Chelsea.

Much was expected from these two young, hungry sides and they certainly haven’t disappointed inside the opening 25 minutes.

Ajax have unsurprisingly started the match on the front foot, putting together neat passing combinations to bypass Chelsea’s midfield.

But Frank Lampard’s side has looked promising going forward, too, in particular through Mason Mount and Callum Hudson-Odoi, who is making his first Champions League start for the club at the tender age of 18.

Kurt Zouma blocks a cross from Ajax's Nicolas Tagliafico.

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has given five English players aged 21 or younger their Champions League debuts in the opening two games of this year’s competition. just two games this season.

Chelsea coach Frank Lampard has given Chelsea's young players opportunity to impress this season.

That’s Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham, Fiyako Tomori, Reece James and Callum Hudson-Odoi who have all featured.

It’s the most by a team in a single season in the competition’s history.

An early sloppy error from Chelsea defender Fikayo Tomori gifts Ajax chance.

A wave of red and white shirts stream forward and Donny van de Beek’s goal-bound shot is blocked by the arm of Marcos Alonso in the area.

Fortunately for Chelsea, the linesman’s flag was up for offside – although replays show it was very much the wrong decision.

Ajax might feel aggrieved, then, that a penalty wasn’t given.

After booking flights and accommodation for the reverse fixture of tonight’s clash in two weeks’ time, Ajax fans were dealt some bad news last Thursday.

Following crowd trouble in their previous Champions League away match in Valencia, UEFA announced Ajax would not be receiving tickets for it’s match at Chelsea.

That left an estimated 2,000 Ajax fans with nothing to do in London on November 5.

A change of plans could see 2,000 Ajax fans travel to Leyton Orient's humble 9,271 capacity Brisbane Road stadium.

But, determined not to let it spoil the opportunity of an evening out in London, they checked other English fixtures in the UK capital and came up with an alternative game to watch – albeit a slightly less glamorous one.

Leyton Orient – a club three divisions and 80 places below Chelsea in the English Football League – is scheduled to host Brighton’s Under-21 team in the EFL Trophy.

You can read more about Ajax fans’ spontaneous trip here.

On Wednesday, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) discussed the potential introduction of temporary concussion substitutions.

In last season’s Champions League, the sport’s concussion protocols were widely criticized after Jan Vertonghen was allowed to play on after a sickening collision that left him visibly groggy.

The suggested changes to the current laws include introducing temporary subs for a 10-minute concussion assessment window instead of the current three-minute test.

CNN sat down with former Dutch international Marco van Basten and Dr. Edwin Goedhart, head of sports medicine at the Dutch Football Federation (KNVB),?to discuss these potential changes.

You can read the full feature, including a landmark study that shows former players are at a greater risk of dementia, here.

Chelsea coach Frank Lampard says Ajax’s run to the semifinal of last year’s competition shows just what can be achieved when coaches place their trust in young players.

Lampard has given youth a chance at Chelsea this season with Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount and Callum Hudson-Odoi all impressing in the opening months of the season.

Abraham is the joint-top scorer in the English Premier League with eight goals while Mount and Hudson-Odoi have won rave reviews for their performances.

And while critics will say Lampard is only picking young players because the club is operating under a transfer ban, the Chelsea boss says he’s giving the youngsters an opportunity because he wants to.

“What Ajax did last year was incredible, to do what they did with such a young team,” Lampard told reporters Tuesday.

“We are in a place here that is steeped in history of bringing young players through. We have a long way to go to do that, but in the short term I am happy with what we have.

“You see my belief in them. People say I have no options in my squad so I have to play them. That’s not true, I chose to play them.”

As team announcements go, this is one slick effort from Ajax. We’re particular fans of Edson Alvarez’s moves. It’s a slightly more sedate tweet for Chelsea.

Ajax vs. Chelsea is one of Wednesday’s early kick offs – a game that could well have ended up being a clash between the Champions League holder and Europa League winner.

For Ajax, the scars of last season still burn bright.

Few football fans will forget the pictures of those in red and white collapsing to the turf in the aftermath of its astonishing Champions League semifinal defeat by Tottenham last season.

Leading 2-0 on the night and 3-0 on aggregate at halftime, Ajax appeared destined for a showdown with Liverpool in Madrid.

Ajax players react after losing the Champions League semi-final second leg against Tottenham.

But, as Liverpool had proved just 24 hours earlier as they fought back from 3-0 down to defeat Barcelona 4-3 on aggregate to reach the final, it’s best to always expect the unexpected in the Champions League

For Ajax, that unexpected twist came in the form of Lucas Moura, who scored two goals in four minutes to drag Tottenham to 2-2 on the night just before the hour mark. And then, with some Ajax fans already thinking about browsing for cheap flights to Madrid, Moura struck a 96th-minute winner to take Spurs through on away goals.

For Tottenham, ecstasy. For Ajax, numbness, emptiness, the unfathomable.

“Last season was last season,”?Ajax coach Erik Ten Hag told reporters.

“We are now building and developing a new team and we need to improve with each passing game. With the process you stumble sometimes, but you have to get back up quickly.”

We love stats, don’t you? Here are a few of our favorites ahead of Ajax vs. Chelsea.

Chelsea isn’t short of young talent but in Callum Hudson-Odoi it has a player that everybody is talking about.

The 18-year-old, who recently returned to action after a lengthy lay-off with an Achilles injury, signed a new five-year deal in September after speculation linking him with a move to Bayern Munich.

Hudson-Odoi, who has already made his full England debut, scored two wonderful goals for the Under-21 team against Austria earlier this month.

He could line up alongside fellow youth product and England teammate Tammy Abraham with Chelsea coach Frank Lampard placing trust in the club’s young players.

Callum Hudson-Odoi is one of Chelsea's brightest prospects.

Here’s what Lampard told reporters Tuesday when asked if Hudson-Odoi was ready to start against Ajax.

Ajax has made an impressive start to this season’s Champions League with a 3-0 home win over French side Lille and a 3-0 victory over Valencia in Spain. It also sits top of the Dutch Eredivise with eight wins and two draws from its 10 games.

That success comes after a summer transfer window where it lost youngsters Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt to Barcelona and Juventus respectively.

Matthijs de Ligt?moved to Juventus after helping Ajax reach last season's Champions League semifinal.

But despite the loss of two key players, Ajax remains a force to be reckoned with according to Chelsea head coach Frank Lampard.

“I watched them play last year and I know their team has changed slightly,” Lampard told reporters Tuesday. “I’m very aware of the new threats they have.

“They’ve won two games convincingly. We hugely respect them as a team. We also have confidence in ourselves, we know it’s a tough match.”