European football giants Real Madrid and Manchester City suffered humiliating defeats in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, casting doubt on their aspirations for continental glory.
Defending champions Real Madrid were stunned 3-1 at home by AC Milan, with Malick Thiaw, Álvaro Morata, and Tijjani Reijnders scoring for the Italian visitors. Vinícius Júnior’s penalty proved to be a mere consolation for the Spanish giants, who have now lost three consecutive Champions League matches.
Manchester City’s woes continued with a 4-1 thrashing at Sporting Lisbon. Despite Phil Foden’s early goal, Swedish forward Viktor Gyökeres netted a hat-trick, while Maximiliano Araújo also found the back of the net. Erling Haaland’s missed penalty added to City’s misery, marking their third consecutive defeat in all competitions.
In contrast, Liverpool enjoyed a resounding 4-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen at Anfield. Luis Diaz’s hat-trick and Cody Gakpo’s goal propelled the Reds to the top of their group standings. Xabi Alonso’s return to his former club as Leverkusen’s coach was overshadowed by Liverpool’s dominance.
Sporting Lisbon’s impressive performance has put them in contention for a top-two finish in their group, with coach Rúben Amorim set to depart for Manchester United after the match.
Other notable results included Celtic’s 3-1 home win over Leipzig, Juventus’ 1-1 draw at Lille, and Borussia Dortmund’s narrow 1-0 victory over Sturm Graz. PSV Eindhoven thrashed Girona 4-0, while Dinamo Zagreb came from behind to defeat Slovan Bratislava 4-1.
