UEFA Europa League: Talking Points Matchday 3

The Europa League campaign reached the halfway point and has offered some exciting matches so far. Will Leverkusen slump, Can Ajax Amsterdam recover from a tough period? Here are the talking points for Matchday 3.

1. Romelu Lukaku On The Roars

Belgian strike Romelu Lukaku continued his remarkable form this season netting another goal in a 2-0 victory over Czech Republic opposition Slavia Prague. The 30-year-old who joined Roma from Inter after struggling to adapt in Milan has been transformed to being one of the most dangerous strikers in the world this season. It was his third Europa League goal this season. He even set a new record for scoring in the tournament 14 times in a row. That is quite an achievement to celebrate in its own right. Lukaku is preparing to face Inter over the weekend and this performance will give him a much-needed morale boost.

2. Fenebarhce Extended The 100 Percent Record

In Europe, there is no team near close to what Fenebarhce of Turkey has achieved this season, an 18-game winning streak in all competitions to announce themselves as one of the dangerous sides to face. On Thursday, they defeated Ludogorets 3-1 on home soil. Miha Zajc scored a brace and Mich Batshuayi added another goal as the side continued their red-hot form. In the league, they have won 9 straight matches, a record in the club’s history. The question that keeps popping up is when they would suffer a defeat and start to lose momentum. But it looks like it would take some time looking at their form this season.

3. Ajax In The Mud

Hailed as one of the best teams in Europe in terms of producing players, Ajax Amsterdam are having a tough season and would want to forget about it. Their search for victory in the European competition this season continued after suffering a 2-0 loss to the Brighton side. It was Joao Pedro and Ansu Fati who were on the scoresheet for the English Premier League side. Ajax, they are last in the group with two points from three matches. In the domestic league, they are sitting in the 17th position with 1 win in the seven games so far. Then on Sunday are preparing to meet the on-form PSV who has an impressive 100 percent record in nine games they played in the league. So, things are not looking well for one of the historic sides in European football.

4. Mohamed Salah Makes History

Liverpool maintained a very good start in the Europa League campaign thumping Toulouse of France 5-1 at the Antfield. It was a ruthless performance displayed by the Reds as they continued to search for glory in the continental competition. The night though belonged to Mohamed Salah in the end. The Egyptian star player netted the fifth goal to take his tally to 43 goals in the European competition for Liverpool. It is the record as no player in for the English Premier League side have managed to achieve that feat surpassing Thierry Henry’s (42) goals. With Jurgen Klopp continuing to strive in Europe will need Salah to be at his best all the time to edge closer to achieving success. For Salah, he is a player that carries the magnitude of scoring and breaking records, and he is undone.

5. Bayer Leverkusen Edge Closer To Record.

As one of the unbeaten sides in Europe this season, Bayer Leverkusen extended their run to 12 games in all competition beating Qarabag 5-1 in another perfect night in Germany. Xabi Alonso’s troops have 3 wins from three matches so far in the continental competition this season. Last season, Alonso achieved 14 14-game unbeaten streak in all competitions and is on the verge of eclipsing that record. It was the first time in the history of the club they managed to win the first three matches whenever participating in the European competition. It looks like there is no calming down as Leverkusen is simply unstoppable this season.

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