Insigne’s hit points way for Ancelotti
NAP HAND: Insigne stole winner
LORENZO INSIGNE struck the winner and Dries Mertens scored twice to ensure Napoli stayed top of Liverpool’s Group E as they won 3-2 at RB Salzsburg.
Mertens had put them ahead in the 17th minute but five minutes before the break Erling Braut Haaland equalised from a penalty.
Mertens then restored the advantage for Carlo Ancelotti’s side in the 64th minute before Haaland struck again in the 72nd minute, only for Insigne to score the winner a minute later.
As Chelsea won in Amsterdam, Group H rivals Valencia’s hopes for the knockout stages were dented as Lille snatched a last-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw.
Denis Cheryshev had put Valencia in front after 63 minutes.They then had Mouctar Diakhaby sent off, and seconds from the final whistle Nanitamo Ikone drew Lille level.
Barcelona survived a scare in Group F after they needed an own-goal to secure a 2-1 victory over Slavia Prague.
It looked as though a handsome win might be on the cards after Lionel Messi put the visitors ahead in just the third minute. But Jan Boril got Slavia Prague back on level terms in the 50th minute – only for Peter Olayinka to turn the ball into his own net to restore Barcelona’s advantage seven minutes later.
Inter Milan kept the pressure on Barcelona with a 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund.
Lautaro Martinez put the home side ahead in the 22nd minute and Antonio Candreva doubled the lead a minute from time. It leaves the Italian side in second place, just a point behind Barcelona, with Dortmund third.
After losing their first two matches of the campaign, Benfica finally have a win after a 2-1 triumph against Lyon.
Rafa Silva broke the deadlock after only four minutes but was then taken off injured.
Memphis Depay equalised for Lyon in the 70th minute but Pizzi struck the winner in the 86th minute.
RB Leipzig are top of this Group G after hitting back from a goal down to beat Zenit St Petersburg 2-1.
DFRANK LAMPARD insisted Chelsea have a long way to go before they can even start to be compared with Ajax.
But this result shows just how far they have come in such a short time under his managerial reign after arguably the best – and certainly most eye-catching – win since he took charge in the summer.
And how two inspired changes by the manager reaped rich rewards as Michy Batshuayi scored in the 86th minute from fellow substitute Christian Pulisic’s cross.
Lampard soaked up the adulation at the final whistle, high-fiving his players on the touchline, while others hugged each other in a little huddle before they all went over to the jubilant away end.
No wonder, because this was a huge step towards Chelsea reaching the knockout stages with a defiant victory in the toughest fixture in Group H. Last season, Ajax went all the way to the semi-final as they re-established themselves as a major European force.
They are famed for their academy and producing young players, which was the comparison put to Lampard – and how Chelsea’s homegrown kids such as Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori and Callum Hudson-Odoi all stepped up
AJAX CHELSEA