European giants Real Madrid and Manchester City confronted humbling defeats in Tuesday’s Champions League motion.
Defending champions Madrid fell 3-1 to AC Milan at house, whereas Manchester City watched a promising begin unravel.
Erling Haaland’s missed penalty and an early lead weren’t sufficient, as City finally succumbed 4-1 to Sporting Lisbon, whose coach is ready to take over City’s crosstown rival.
Liverpool, nonetheless, loved a stellar evening at Anfield.
Luis Diaz netted a hat trick, with Cody Gakpo including one other in a commanding 4-0 victory over German champion Bayer Leverkusen, marring Xabi Alonso’s return to his former membership.
The Leverkusen coach obtained a heat welcome on his return to the membership the place he turned a fan favourite as a participant over 5 seasons between 2004 and 2009.
Alonso gained the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005.
Liverpool moved to the highest of the league part desk with 4 wins from 4 video games, adopted by Sporting and Monaco, each with 10 factors after three wins and a draw.
Under the brand new 36-team format launched by UEFA this season, the highest eight groups advance on to the following spherical, whereas groups from ninth to twenty fourth enter playoffs to achieve it; the underside 12 are eradicated.
Before their sport, Sporting followers displayed a large tifo thanking Ruben Amorim in his final house sport earlier than he takes over Manchester United.
Phil Foden received City off to a flying begin within the fourth minute, solely the second objective Sporting has conceded in 4 video games within the competitors.
But Swedish ahead Viktor Gyokeres scored a hat trick as Sporting got here roaring again.
Gyokeres first equalized within the thirty eighth minute after an ideal by means of ball from Geovany Quenda, earlier than Maximiliano Araujo made it 2-1 proper after the break.
Gyokeres then made it 3-1 from the penalty spot after Josko Gvardiol was penalized for a shove on Francisco Trincao within the space.
Haaland’s penalty hit the crossbar earlier than Gyokeres confirmed the Norwegian the way it’s carried out with one other spot kick on the different finish to finish the scoring.
It is the primary time since 2018 that City has misplaced three straight video games, coming off a defeat to Tottenham within the English League Cup and a loss to Bournemouth within the Premier League.
“In my seven and a half years on the membership, I do not bear in mind shedding three video games in a row,” City midfielder Bernardo Silva mentioned.
In Spain, Christian Pulisic despatched in a nook for Malick Thiaw to move Milan right into a Twelfth-minute lead, guaranteeing Madrid trailed in a 3rd straight sport within the Champions League this season. The 15-time champion had already misplaced to shock workforce Lille in its second sport.
Vinicius Junior equalized from the penalty spot within the twenty third after he’d been tripped, however Álvaro Morata pounced on the rebound after Andriy Lunin saved Rafael Leao’s shot to revive the guests’ lead in opposition to his former membership.
Morata obtained a hostile reception from the house followers, who evidently bear in mind the objective he scored to take Juventus by means of to the 2015 remaining at their workforce’s expense.
Tijjani Reijnders scored Milan’s third objective as the house followers voiced their frustrations at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
“The last two defeats are inexplicable. We have to analyze and react quickly,” Lunin mentioned, referring to Madrid’s 4-0 loss to Barcelona in its earlier Spanish league sport.
It’s the primary time since 2009 that Madrid has misplaced two successive video games at house with not less than three objectives conceded in every, in accordance with Opta.
“We must get again on observe,” Lunin mentioned.
German ahead Nicolas Kühn scored twice as Celtic defeated Leipzig 3-1 at house, and Juventus drew 1-1 at Lille.
Lille midfielder Edon Zhegrova eluded two defenders earlier than enjoying an ideal cross for Jonathan David, who fired contained in the far submit, however Dusan Vlahovic equalized with a penalty for the Italian membership.
Donyell Malen scored late for Borussia Dortmund to beat Sturm Graz 1-0 at house, and Thilo Kehrer did likewise for Monaco, which gained 1-0 at Bologna.
United States midfielder Malik Tillman scored one objective and arrange one other as PSV Eindhoven beat Spanish workforce Girona 4-0.
Dinamo Zagreb dealt Slovan Bratislava its fourth straight defeat within the competitors because the guests got here from behind to win 4-1 in Bratislava.
Source: www.dailysabah.com