Champions League, Italian poker: Como, Inter, Roma and Napoli win

The third matchday of the Champions League League Phase delivers a clean sweep for Italian football: Como, Inter, Roma and Napoli all win their respective matches, as reported by Il Fatto Quotidiano based on official UEFA results.

Among the most significant results is Como’s, who beat Manchester United. For the Lombard club, making its absolute debut in the league phase of the top European competition, this is a win that matters both in points and in international visibility, coming against one of the tournament’s historic sides.

Inter’s path was more complicated, as according to Ansa’s account the team had to deal with Bastoni’s sending-off for a second yellow card and finished the match with ten men for twenty minutes. Despite the numerical disadvantage, the Nerazzurri side secured the win against Shakhtar Donetsk, moving up the table again after a group-stage start that was less straightforward than expected. The ability to hold the result while playing with ten men is an indicator of defensive solidity that goes beyond the single scoreline.

The picture for the Italian teams is completed by the wins of Roma and Napoli, bringing the tally to four wins out of four matches on the same European matchday. A figure that, if confirmed in the coming rounds, would have an impact on the distribution of places in the single League Phase table, the format that brings together all participating teams in a single group.

In the rest of the Champions League schedule, the other marquee clashes confirmed balances already familiar at the top of the tournament. Real Madrid beat RB Leipzig four to one, while Bayern Munich and Arsenal drew two to two in a match that saw the two sides trade the lead. Club Brugge won three to nil against Lens, and Betis got the better of Feyenoord one to nil.

The day of European football did not end with the Champions League: on the evening following Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s matches, Europa League and Conference League fixtures were also played, rounding off a busy midweek round for clubs involved on multiple fronts.

For the Italian teams, this matchday’s clean record represents a significant step in the race for direct qualification to the round of 16, reserved in the League Phase’s overall standings for the best-placed teams. With four wins out of four on the same matchday, Como, Inter, Roma and Napoli head into the next League Phase round with a concrete chance of consolidating their position in the upper part of the table.