The Champions League returns tonight for the sixth game week of the new format, and the table is beginning to take shape. There are nine games taking place across the continent, all of which could have a major bearing on who proceeds to the knockout phase.
Follow all the action here.
Atalanta vs Real Madrid
Scorers: De Ketelaere (pen) 45+2′; Mbappé 10′, VinÃcius Jr. 56′, Bellingham 59′
Kylian Mbappé gave Real the lead after 10 minutes with a finish reminiscent of the Frenchman at his very best.
Brahim DÃaz slipped him in, and he took a touch to get past a defender before smashing the ball into the bottom corner.
It was Mbappé 50th goal in the competition, but his night would be cut short before half-time, as he hobbled off with injury.
Atalanta drew level just before the half-time whistle through Charles De Ketelaere. Sead Kolašinac was fouled by Aurélien Tchouaméni, and the Belgian midfielder made no mistake from the spot.
11 minutes into the second half, VinÃcius Júnior, back in the lineup after a spell on the sidelines with an injury of his own, gave his side the lead for a second time, coolly finishing with his left foot after the ball bounced his way.
Jude Bellingham gave the champions breathing room shortly after, confidently striking home after cutting inside an Atalanta defender.
More to follow…
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Bayern Munich
Scorers: Kevin 5′; Laimer 11, Müller 45′
Bayern went behind inside five minutes, and not for the first time, their defensive line was hugely questionable.
Shakhtar picked up a second ball, and with one pass, Kevin was in on Manuel Neuer. He still had plenty to do, but brilliantly curled a finish into the bottom corner.
Konrad Laimer quickly levelled things up, picking up a loose ball in the box and hammering in an unstoppable strike from close range.
Bayern turned the game on its head on the stroke of half time through Thomas Müller. Jamal Musiala ran into the box, and fed the veteran to finish coolly with his left foot. The goal means the Bayern icon has now scored in 16 consecutive Champions League seasons.
More to follow…
RB Salzburg vs PSG
Scorers: Ramos 30′
Unsurprisingly, PSG dominated possession, and had nearly all of the chances in the opening stages of the game. However, they couldn’t find the early breakthrough, continuing their wayward scoring in this season’s competition.
They eventually broke through on the half hour mark, Gonçalo Ramos just about prodding the ball home after Achraf Hakimi picked him out with a cushioned header across the goal.
More to follow…
Bayer Leverkusen vs Inter
As might have been anticipated, Leverkusen had the majority of the ball in the first half, but Inter showed why they are one of the toughest teams in Europe to break down, limiting the Bundesliga champions to just two shots on target.
More to follow…
RB Leipzig vs Aston Villa
Scorers: Openda 27′, Baumgartner 62′; McGinn 3′, Durán 51′
Villa took the lead after just three minutes through John McGinn. Matty Cash cut in on his left foot, crossed the ball in towards Ollie Watkins who nodded it down for his captain to smash home from close range.
For all of their dominance, Villa didn’t build on their lead and were made to pay for it in the 27th minute. One long ball went through the Villa defence, and Loïs Openda nipped in to round a needlessly onrushing Emiliano MartÃnez and slot home.
Jhon Durán came on at half time for Watkins, and needed just six-and-a-half minutes to prove why he is the best super sub in the game right now.
Some neat interplay with Youri Tielemans saw him run at the Leipzig defence before looping the ball over Péter Gulácsi for a brilliant goal.
Durán thought he had a second soon after, but Matty Casg was ruled to be offside in the build-up. Villa then lost their lead for a second time, this time Christoph Baumgartner brilliantly volleying the ball home from an Openda cross.
More to follow…
Club Brugge vs Sporting
Scorers:Â Quaresma (OG) 24′ Catamo 3′
Sporting needed just three minutes to open the scoring through Geny Catamo, who tapped home after Maximiliano Araujo’s shot hit the post and fell to him.
Brugge levelled things up just over 20 minutes later, albeit somewhat fortunately. Some decent build-up eventually saw a shot from inside the box come off Sporting defender Eduardo Quaresma and past keeper Franco Israel.
More to follow…
Brest vs PSV
Scorers: Le Cardinal 43′
Despite being mostly dominated in the first half, Brest took the lead just before the break, Julien Le Cardinal smashing the ball from two yards out after a free-kick came his way.
More to follow…
Earlier
Salah spot kick continues 100% record
Scorers: Salah (pen) 63′
Liverpool had a Mohamed Salah penalty and an excellent performance from the returning Alisson to thank as they continued their stunning 100% record in this season’s Champions League with a 1-0 win at Girona.
It could have all been easier, with the Reds almost taking the lead inside five minutes. Virgil van Dijk rose highest at a corner but his strong header was turned over by Girona keeper Paulo Gazzaniga.
Alisson was called into action on his return, saving from Alejandro Frances after Daley Blind somehow missed the ball from a Miguel Gutierrez cross. Bryan Gil then made a mess of things when put through on the Brazilian, as the LaLiga side threatened to take a surprise lead.
In a frenetic first half, Darwin Núñez had the Reds’ other good chances, mistiming a header before seeing a good strike stopped by Gazzaniga, but it was Girona who had the better of the openings. Alisson was again called into action, saving from Yaser Asprilla’s swerving shot.
The second half started in a similar vein, with Liverpool’s no. 1 keeping them level, saving at the near post from Arnaut Danjuma.
Liverpool took the lead from the penalty spot after the hour. Donny van de Beek was adjudged by VAR to have stood on Luis DÃaz’s heel, and Mohamed Salah hammered home from 12 yards.
Despite taking the lead, the Premier League leaders were far from their best, with Núñez personifying their frustration, being subbed off for Cody Gakpo after another unproductive showing in front of goal.
Trent Alexander-Arnold almost got a second late on but his fine free-kick was turned away by Gazzaniga, and any bigger defeat would have been harsh on Girona.
Celtic held in Zagreb
Celtic could be left ruing a missed opportunity after drawing 0-0 with Dinamo Zagreb in a game of low quality and few chances, which continued their long winless away run in the Champions League.
Despite dominating the ball for much of the first half, Celtic struggled to do much against a determined Zagreb side, who posed little threat themselves.
The second half saw the Hoops look to make the breakthrough, but the Croatian champions’ low block was giving little away, Nicolas Kuhn’s deflected effort being the closest they came to an opener.
Their best passage play saw Arne Engels slip the ball in for Kuhn, who then found Anthony Ralston out wide. The full-back’s attempted cross was desperately disappointing, and symbolic of Celtic’s final ball throughout the night.
Kasper Schmeichel ensured they stayed level, doing brilliantly tip over one of Zagreb’s few chances.
Celtic almost nicked the win at the death. James Forrest played a great ball down the line for Engels, whose low ball was about to be tapped home by Adam Idah before a Zagreb defender brilliantly cleared it.
In truth, a draw was fair with neither side doing enough to secure the win.
📸 ALBERTO PIZZOLI – AFP or licensors
