3 takeaways from Wednesday's Champions League action

The Champions League's group stage hit the halfway point on Wednesday, as 16 clubs played out eight games across Europe.

Criticism of Edin Dzeko is unfounded at this point

In an exclusive interview with the Guardian, Edin Dzeko discussed the criticism that he endures, saying: "I don't run? I don't give my best? Come on! That is a joke. I can guarantee that no one in the stands or in front of the TV wants us to win games more than I do!" For a footballer who is the top scorer in Bosnia and Herzegovina's history, who won league titles at VfL Wolfsburg and Manchester City, who scored more goals in Serie A than anyone else last season, censure feels unwarranted.

Dzeko ran and gave his best as Chelsea and AS Roma played out a 3-3 draw at Stamford Bridge, scoring two goals, including one that involved out-running Andreas Christensen. It was the Bosnian striker's 100th appearance for Roma in all competitions, and the brace raised his tally to 59 goals for the Giallorossi, 31 of which are from 2017. The Blues were unable to contain the product of FK Zeljeznicar's movement, and his performance silenced the stubborn critics who continue to accuse him of missing chances, laziness, and poor body language.

Dzeko boasts three goals in the Champions League, his best tally since 2009-10, when he found the back of the net four times.

Benfica's problems exacerbated by rookie mistake

SL Benfica rolled the dice by starting Mile Svilar, who, at 18 years and 52 days, became the youngest-ever 'keeper to play in the Champions League, and who only debuted for the Portuguese club four days earlier. It was a decision that, in the end, led to a 1-0 victory for Manchester United at the Estadio da Luz.

Svilar was bold in the first half. His first touch of the game was a diving header, he made a good clearance, and he parried a shot to safety. But his naivety was exposed in the second half, when he misjudged a free-kick and caught the ball after it had crossed the goal line. One mistake turned a debut to remember into a debut to forget, and Romelu Lukaku was seen consoling his compatriot once the final whistle had blown.

One miscalculation isn't enough to derail a career, and Benfica's lack of scoring is the real problem in its Champions League adventure, but Svilar, barely over the legal drinking age in Portugal, will want to erase the game from his memory as quickly as possible.

Celtic isn't good enough to escape group stage

There was nothing else that Celtic could have done. Bayern Munich produced a 3-0 victory over the Bhoys at the Allianz Arena in a game that was laughably one-sided. At no point did the Hoops look capable of going toe to toe with the German club, who found goals through Thomas Muller, Joshua Kimmich, and Mats Hummels.

The result left Celtic sitting third in Group B, three points behind Bayern and six points back of Paris Saint-Germain. It was always going to be a bumpy ride for the Hoops in a quartet that features two of European football's behemoths, but their supporters entered the tournament with optimism, believing that somehow they'd advance to the knockout phase.

Unfortunately, for them, Celtic is clearly out of its depth in Group B. A win away to RSC Anderlecht won't be enough. The Hoops need to beat Bayern or PSG to have any hopes of advancing, and it's hard to see them slaying either of the two giants.