With five places in the last-16 of the competition still to be decided, Wednesday's conclusion to the Champions League group stages was ...
With five places in the last-16 of the competition still to be decided, Wednesday's conclusion to the Champions League group stages was suitably dramatic.
Many eyes were on Group F—where Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund and Napoli were all vying for two spots in the next round—but there were enticing fixtures elsewhere, with AC Milan and Ajax in a winner-takes-all battle for second in their group, and Schalke and Basel in a similarly pitched battle for progression from Group E.
Let’s see the lessons learnt shall we?
Arteta’s Red Card Too Costly For Arsenal
Arteta's sending-off means he'll miss Arsenal's next match, which will be the first leg in the round of 16. Depending on the matchup in that round, not having a player like that for even one match can carry heavy significance.
The Gunners could have a poor first leg and fail to recover in the second, exiting the Champions League in the round of 16 for the fourth season in a row.
Things could be much worse for the club, though.
If this had happened last year, Arsenal could've been in major trouble. This year, it's still a problem, but not the crippling blow it could've been.
The addition of Mathieu Flamini has meant a lessened role for Arteta in general, as the Frenchman has become the primary ball-winner/distributor sitting in front of the defense.
The importance of Arteta's absence will only truly be known when Arsenal learn of their opponent for the next round.
You could only have seen him starting the match in the first place if the Gunners faced off against somebody like Barcelona or Bayern Munich, who press a lot and can strike quickly.
Otherwise, Arsenal will remain in a good position for the first leg.
Neymar Had His Best Performance for Barcelona
There really is no appropriate way to describe Neymar's performance against Celtic. The words incredible and stunning come to mind, but just don't seem good enough.
The Brazilian gave an assist and found the back of the net three times. It was his first hat-trick in the Barcelona shirt, and surely not his last.
Neymar also won 11 dribbles and had nine shots on goal. To be honest, he could have ended up with twice as many goals in this match.
This was the first time Neymar has really been given absolute freedom on the pitch. He ran with that freedom and influenced play all over the field. He needed a match like this to gain confidence and get into a rhythm, but more importantly he showed he is still learning.
It seems as though Neymar is getting better each week. He is still only 21 years old and adapting to Europe, but every time he has a bad run he answers back with a dominant performance.
This was his best performance yet in the Barcelona shirt, but he will have even better games for La Blaugrana in his career.
Take a bow Neymar.
Sergi Roberto Is Ready for a Bigger Role
Sergi Roberto made a rare start in place of Andres Iniesta against Celtic and put in a terrific performance. Tata Martino has been slowly working him into the squad and the time has come for him to take the next step.
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The 21-year-old completed 96 percent of his passes with 103 touches. He also won a dribble and made a few impressive tackles in the middle of the pitch.
Roberto performed as more of a box-to-box midfielder against Celtic and it was just what Barcelona needed. He tracked back well and was very direct with the ball at his feet.
He showed maturity despite his age and at times he even looked like he had played in dozens of Champions League matches.
He was not the best player on the pitch by any means, but Roberto was very solid and consistent. He is starting to make a name for himself and his play is forcing Martino to give him more playing time.
Forget Fernando Torres, Demba Ba Is Improving Under Jose Mourinho
The hype surrounding Fernando Torres' apparent resurgence appeared to have no real foundation to it, with the Spaniard failing to maintain his impressive form after a spell out injured.
In his absence, Samuel Eto'o was the obvious replacement and scored four goals in as many games. But one striker who was not expected to have much of an opportunity was Demba Ba, who scored the only goal as Chelsea beat Steaua Bucharest 1-0.
The Senegalese forward has looked off the pace at times and has only scored three Premier League goals since joining the club in January, but has shown signs of improving his all-round game in recent weeks.
Of course, the 28-year-old missed a simple tap-in from six yards out after a superb delivery from Willian, but it didn't disguise the fact that Ba, among others, is beginning to show signs of development under Mourinho.
Eden Hazard Is Growing in Confidence Under Jose Mourinho
A player with such skill, pace and raw ability, and he's still only 22 years of age, too. It's no wonder why the likes of Frank Lampard praised Eden Hazard so highly in recent weeks, per Sky Sports.
The Belgian winger was signed from Lille 18 months ago in a £32 million deal and, aside from a few minor hiccups, has looked every part of the making of a world-class player.
Mourinho took his time to evaluate how to treat the pacey midfielder, given Hazard's controversial decision to travel to Lille without permission, only to then forget his passport, according to Jack de Menezes of The Independent.
But encouraging Hazard to play with his natural confidence allows him to humiliate defenders and create chances for his teammates, like he did against Sunderland, Stoke and now Steaua.
Another assured performance from the tricky winger, and Mourinho will be hoping there is plenty more to come from a player who has seven goals and four assists so far this season.
Chelsea Victorious but Lack of Conviction a Concern
So Jose Mourinho finally got the victory he desired after the defeat against Basel two weeks ago, but did he get the performance?
Of course, Chelsea dominated proceedings with 69 per cent possession and generally looked comfortable on the ball. Willian and Eden Hazard showed some nice touches, while Frank Lampard and John Obi Mikel pulled the strings in the midfield.
But again, there was that certain lack of quality on show, that one moment that could have put the game beyond doubt.
Considering the goal came from a set piece, Chelsea's five shots on target from 18 in total highlighted their profligacy in front of goal.
Demba Ba might have claimed the first goal, but his miss from six yards could have been costly for the Blues, with Schalke winning 2-0 against FC Basel.
A clean sheet is of course a bonus, and with just three goals conceded in the six group games, Chelsea have the best defence in the competition.
Nevertheless, having criticised his team's lack of killer instinct previously, the evidence suggests that Mourinho has every right to be unhappy with the attackers in the squad at present.
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