JOTA HOTTER, HOTTER & HOTTER!
Hat-trick for Reds new boy who can’t stop scoring
DIOGO JOTA continued his hot scoring streak with a hat- trick as Liverpool thrashed Atalanta in the Champions League.
The Portuguese forward, a £41m signing from Wolves in the summer, netted twice in the first half and again after the break, taking his tally to seven in nine ine game games.
Former striker Michael Owen said on BT Sport: ‘If Liverpool fans were unsure whether they had a top class talent, they know now.’
Gabriel Jesus scored on his return from injury as Manchester City beat Olympiacos 3-0.
Never mind a reasonable deputy, Ferran Torres might just keep his place leading Manchester City’s line if he keeps this up.
It was not so much the opening goal itself, more the eye for it that had Pep Guardiola and Olympiacos simultaneously spinning for different reasons. Torres came short and was already flying by the time Kevin De Bruyne had returned his pass, breezing beyond markers and sliding underneath Jose Sa.
The 20- year- old was never missing, becoming the third youngest player in Champions League history to score in four consecutive games. The company he keeps in that list is erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe. valencia only receiving an initial £21million for Torres over the summer is beginning to look really quite insulting.
Gabriel Jesus returned to the bench last night, scoring minutes after his introduction to make these points safe, and Sergio Aguero is expected back soon but, with Torres in this mood, the reliance on the South American pair is not so desperate.
A point in the return fixture at the Karaiskaki Stadium in three weeks’ time will be enough for City to confirm their progression into the last 16 and they have made light work of this group. Guardiola demanded they win all three home games and one on the road. City have done just enough in Manchester chester and were impressive sive in Marseille.
This was exceptionally epor good for 40 minutes and a little lax thereafter, - further evidence that Guardiola’s team is dropping off as games grow w older. Still, even n now, they are feeling elof the effects of a non- existent presitive preseason. The positive for Guardiola is that at they are at least beginning games with more direction.
City play a bit differently with Oleks Zinchenko in the team — and often it is for the better. Zinchenko’s natural tendency is to ghost into central midfield and that represents a serious benefit when Guardiola only picks one anchorman. Certainly it is the case when Phil Foden and raheem Sterling are around, Zinchenko’s positioning vital in allowing those two to go and do their stuff. Foden and Sterling linked telepathically, the energy and verve along a corridor of uncertainty down the Olympiacos right ex exactly the sort of att attacking chaos Gua Guardiola craves ag against teams w who arrive in M Manchester with only survival on the mind. The Greek champions were not exactly camped in their own box by design but there appeared little desire to break free with any regularity. City’s opener came within 12 minutes via Torres and the youngster had twice come close prior to that as well. First his volleyed backheel flick from riyad Mahrez’s corner was deflected wide, before Torres then evaded a marker to head over moments later. City’s stranglehold waned slightly and there came occasional moments when they had to rely on Nathan Ake and John Stones, the latter starting his first game since the season’s curtain raiser at Wolves.
Shouts of ‘Brilliant, John’ rang from the seats behind Guardiola’s bench as the centre half averted danger. endearing words of encouragement indicate those on the backroom staff know they will need to call upon the largely out-of-favour Stones during this manic season.
As has happened plenty of times already this season, the chances rather dried up for a spell, with City more rigid. The game drifted a little, more frustration from those in blue.
De Bruyne berated Foden for surrendering possession. Seconds later, Foden lost it again and the consequences might have been disastrous. City built from the back, Foden dropping to his own 18-yard line but spraying a loose pass straight to Mathieu valbuena. ederson had vacated his station, the goal gaped, but Stones somehow put valbuena off sufficiently for the Frenchman to embarrassingly slice wide.
Youssef el-Arabi squeezed in between Ake and Stones to force ederson to save. So, for a lengthy spell of the second half, a third straight victory hung in the balance. Guardiola had seen enough, calling for rodri and Jesus to solidify the result.
Olympiacos had inched their way back in though and were not finished, former Watford full back Jose Holebas screeching an effort right across ederson’s goal. The empty etihad gasped. It had all become a bit nervy. That was until Jesus unleashed into the top corner and Joao Cancelo curled in a third with his weaker foot to add gloss. Jesus could not have Torres hogging all the limelight.
MAN CITY (4-3-3): Ederson 6; Walker 7 (Cancelo 82min), Stones 6.5, Ake 6.5, Zinchenko 7; De Bruyne 7 (Nmecha 85), Gundogan 6, Foden 6.5 (Rodri 69, 6); Mahrez 6 (Jesus 69, 6), TORRES 7.5, Sterling 7 (Silva 82). Subs not used: Steffen, Trafford, Dias, Laporte, Garcia, Bernabe. Scorers: Torres 12, Jesus 81, Cancelo 90. Manager: Pep Guardiola 6.
OLYMPIACOS (4-3-3): Jose Sa 6; Rafinha 6, Semedo 5, Cisse 6.5, Holebas 6; M’Vila 6, Bouchalakis 5 (Pepe 46, 7), Camara 6 (Masouras 73, 6); Randjelovic 5 (Bruma 46, 6.5), El-Arabi 6.5 (Hassan 76), Valubuena 6 (Soudani 85). Subs not used: Karargyris, Tzolakis, Vinagre, Androutsos, Vrousai, Drager, Papadopoulos. Booked: Camara.
Manager: Pedro Martins 6. Referee: Carlos del Cerro Grande (Esp).