UCL talking points: Flawless Bayern, Slot's switch, VdV's worldie - ESPN

The Chaaaaampiooooons League delivered yet another matchday of compelling action this week.

We've had statement wins (Bayern Munich beating Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 in Paris), end-to-end draws (Barcelona held 3-3 by Club Brugge), some shock losses (Pafos defeating Villarreal 1-0) and, to cap it all off, a Puskas contender from Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven.

This is what you get with Europe's elite club competition, and this week has provided plenty to talk about as the league phase reaches its halfway point and the table begins to take shape.

Read on as ESPN experts Beth Lindop, Sam Tighe, Rob Dawson and Gab Marcotti offer their thoughts on Matchday 4.

— Who's ahead of Mbappé, Haaland in race for European Golden Shoe award?
— Dawson: Foden using Champions League to prove England credentials
— Ogden: In attack and defense, Bayern show why they're UCL favorites

Marcotti: I've said all season that integrating Wirtz was going to take time, and would be very difficult to do if it was going to be in the hole in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Why? It's not a position he has played before (not with this setup around him anyway), it's especially hard when you have four new starters in a team. As talented as he is, Wirtz is a 22-year-old moving from playing in the Bundesliga in front of 26,000 fans at a midsize club, to the Premier League and one of the biggest clubs in the world.

I don't doubt that his future at Liverpool might be in that role, but right now is too soon.

I think it's too early to speak of a «turning point» for Liverpool if, by that, you mean have they solved their tactical issues. That's a heavy lift and I think in many ways they will only get things to click once they integrate a regular center forward. But