Roma and Cluj still off the boil

Bayern were not the only ones with glum faces at the weekend. Two of the Reds’ three rivals in Group E of the Champions League failed to secure victories despite leading - the only exception came with FC Basel beating third division opposition in the first round of Switzerland’s domestic cup competition.

Bayern’s next opponents in the Champions League, coached by Thorsten Fink, secured a 5-0 win against FC Mendrisio-Stabio on Sunday. Fink did not field any of the squad who featured in Wednesday’s 2-1 reverse away to CFR Cluj - not as a punishment, but rather to make sure that players “who have had a break are fully fit for the next game,” the coach explained. Basel face Grasshoppers on Wednesday.

What was effectively the Basel reserves, playing in front of a 3,200 crowd at the Campo Sportivo Comunale in Tessin, made light work of the task at hand. Two goals apiece from Federico Almerares (31, 88) and Pascal Schürpf (36, 70) and a Fwayo Tembo strike on 63 minutes saw Fink’s team cruise to a convincing victory.

Cluj lose out after taking lead

CFR Cluj appeared to have a similarly straightforward challenge on Sunday. The Romanian league and cup winners were at home to newly-promoted FCM Targu Mures but ended up losing by the odd goal in three. Emil Cosmin Dica gave the hosts the lead just after the hour mark, but Targu Mures snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the final minutes of the encounter. Cristian Lucian Munteanu (83) and Mihai Stere (85) turned the game round with two goals in three minutes.