In a thrilling encounter in the UEFA Champions League, Liverpool secured a remarkable 2-0 victory over Real Madrid, marking their first win against the Spanish giants since 2009. This victory highlighted the impressive start to Arne Slot’s tenure as Liverpool’s manager, with the Dutchman now boasting a remarkable record of 17 wins in his first 19 matches in charge.
The game at Anfield was an electric affair, with Liverpool starting fast. Darwin Núñez came close early on, his shot being saved by Thibaut Courtois and cleared off the line by Real Madrid’s Raúl Asencio. Despite more chances for Núñez, including a brilliant tackle from Conor Bradley on Kylian Mbappé that ignited the home crowd, Liverpool remained on the attack.
The breakthrough came in the 52nd minute when Alexis Mac Allister combined with Bradley, slotting home a low shot past Courtois. Real Madrid had a chance to respond soon after when Andy Robertson fouled Lucas Vázquez in the box, but Mbappé’s penalty was denied by Liverpool’s Caoimhin Kelleher.
Although Mohamed Salah missed his own penalty, Liverpool sealed the win in the 76th minute. Substitute Cody Gakpo, who had come on for the Reds, rose highest to head in a Robertson cross, ensuring a memorable victory.
This win is a massive statement for Liverpool under Slot, who has now achieved something former manager Jürgen Klopp failed to do in six attempts. With the victory, Liverpool now sits atop both the Champions League and Premier League standings, while Real Madrid finds themselves struggling in the European competition, sitting in 24th place. If Madrid does not improve, they risk elimination from the Champions League in the coming matches.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Champions League, the U.S. Men’s National Team duo Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi played pivotal roles in PSV Eindhoven’s dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Shakhtar Donetsk. After being 2-0 down, Tillman scored two incredible goals, including an equalizer from 25 yards out, before Pepi secured the victory in stoppage time.
However, Aston Villa’s hopes of securing a memorable win over Juventus were dashed by VAR. Villa thought they had won the match when Morgan Rogers scored in the 94th minute, but a long VAR review ruled the goal out for a foul on Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio, leaving the match ending in a frustrating 0-0 draw.
