Benfica, Anderlecht, Atlético Madrid, Qarabağ, Olympiacos, Maribor, Feyenoord, Monaco, APOEL and Borussia Dortmund would all have wanted a win by the halfway mark of this UEFA Champions League group stage – even so, do not write off their last-16 chances just yet.
No team with nine points from three matches have been eliminated under the current format introduced in 2003/04. And in all 37 teams have had zero points at the halfway mark: none advanced. But (and there is always a but) the season before that, Newcastle United went through after three initial losses.