Manchester United picked up a much-needed three points against Copenhagen on Tuesday evening, with Harry Maguire's second-half header proving to be the difference between the two sides at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils are now on three points in Group A, one point behind second-placed Galatasaray, who suffered a 3-1 defeat at home to section leaders Bayern Munich.
Group B has Arsenal at its summit, with the Gunners beating Sevilla 2-1 on Tuesday evening, while Lens, who have dropped to second in the section, drew 1-1 with PSV Eindhoven in France.
Real Madrid made it nine points from an available nine in Group C courtesy of a 2-1 win over Braga, while Napoli beat Union Berlin 1-0 in Germany to move onto six points, which is enough for second spot.
Real Sociedad lead Group D, with the Basque outfit beating Benfica 1-0 on Tuesday, while Inter Milan are second - level on seven points with Real Sociedad - having beaten Red Bull Salzburg 2-1.
In Group E, Feyenoord are the leaders on six points, with the Dutch outfit beating Lazio 3-1 on Wednesday, while Atletico Madrid, who drew 2-2 with Celtic, are second in the section on five points.
Paris Saint-Germain, who beat AC Milan 3-0, lead a fascinating Group F, with Borussia Dortmund moving above Newcastle United into second courtesy of a 1-0 victory at St James' Park.
Manchester City made it three wins from three matches in Group G by beating Young Boys 3-1, while RB Leipzig recorded a 3-1 victory over Red Star Belgrade to strengthen their grip on second.
Barcelona are in charge of Group H, having beaten Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 on Wednesday to move onto nine points, while Porto are second on six points courtesy of their 4-1 success over Royal Antwerp.
Here, Sports Mole selects its standout XI from the third game week of this season's Champions League group stages.
DEFENCE
Dortmund picked up a much-needed three points against Newcastle on Wednesday, and their goalkeeper Gregor Kobel played a key role in the success. The 25-year-old needed his crossbar to come to the rescue twice in the final exchanges, but he made a particularly outstanding save to deny Callum Wilson in the second half, while his distribution and calmness under pressure were key features for BVB in their 1-0 success.
Harry Maguire deserves to be named in the defensive unit due to his performance against Copenhagen, especially considering the scrutiny that he has been under. The Englishman has played himself into a bit of form, and his excellent header secured all three points on Wednesday. The 30-year-old won four aerial duels, while he also finished with a pass success rate of 87% at Old Trafford.
Natan is also included due to his contribution to Napoli's success over Union Berlin. The 22-year-old won four aerial duels and made two tackles during a brilliant defensive performance, while he completed 69 of his 75 passes, with the defender a key reason for his side's success in Germany.
David Raum completes the back-line, with the 25-year-old putting in a brilliant display for Leipzig against Red Star Belgrade. The German got his name on the scoresheet in the 12th minute of the match before setting up his side's second, and it was an all-action performance from Raum, who was heavily involved at both ends of the field.
MIDFIELD
Declan Rice was outstanding for Arsenal on Tuesday, with the England international playing a key role in his side's 2-1 success over Sevilla. The summer arrival set up Gabriel Jesus for Arsenal's second of the match, while he completed three dribbles, won three aerial duels and made two tackles in Seville.
Barcelona's Fermin Lopez also makes it due to his contribution against Shakhtar on Wednesday. The 20-year-old was on the scoresheet in the 36th minute of the match, but it was his overall performance that impressed the most, having five shots and completing three dribbles, while he also hit the woodwork on two occasions.
Xavi Simons was excellent for Leipzig against Red Star Belgrade, meanwhile, coming up with a goal and an assist in his side's 3-1 success. The attacker set up David Raum for 1-0 before registering Leipzig's second just before the hour, and it is not a surprise that so many major clubs are admirers of the 20-year-old.
The midfield unit is completed by another outstanding youngster in the shape of Jamal Musiala, who was on the scoresheet in Bayern's 3-1 win over Galatasaray. The 20-year-old's future is currently the subject of much speculation, but he put everything aside to star for the Bundesliga champions, and Galatasaray found it so difficult to deal with his movement in the final third of the field.
ATTACK
There was a lot of competition for spots in the final third, with Arsenal's Jesus very unfortunate to miss out, while Porto's Mehdi Taremi is also worth a mention. Taremi's teammate Evanilson had to make it, though, due to his stunning hat-trick off the bench on Wednesday against Royal Antwerp. The 24-year-old only entered the field in the 44th minute but went on to score three times during an incredible performance.
Harry Kane also came close to making this side, but Feyenoord's Santiago Gimenez scored twice in his side's 3-1 win over Lazio in the Netherlands. The 22-year-old is believed to be attracting attention from a number of major clubs, and he was outstanding against Lazio, having five shots in total.
The final spot in the XI goes to a certain Erling Haaland, who netted a brace in Man City's 3-1 win over Young Boys. The Norwegian has not always been at his best this season, but he now has 11 goals in 14 appearances in 2023-24, so he is hardly in crisis. Haaland netted from the penalty spot in the 67th minute before adding a second late on, with Young Boys finding it so difficult to deal with his work in the final third.
SPORTS MOLE'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TEAM OF THE WEEK
Sports Mole's Champions League Team of the Week (3-4-3): Kobel; Raum, Maguire, Natan; Rice, F Lopez, Simons, Musiala; S Gimenez, Haaland, Evanilson
body check tags ::
