Liverpool claimed a 2-0 victory over defending champions Real Madrid on Wednesday, becoming the only team with a perfect record in this season’s UEFA Champions League. The win moved them to the top of their group, further cementing their place in the competition’s knockout stages. Other notable results from the evening included Borussia Dortmund’s triumph and Inter Milan’s dominant win over Dinamo Zagreb.
In the highly anticipated match at Anfield, Real Madrid sought to extend their unbeaten streak against Liverpool, having won seven consecutive encounters. However, it was Liverpool who took control, with Alexis Mac Allister scoring the opening goal early in the second half. Madrid’s hopes were dashed when Kylian Mbappé’s penalty was saved, and substitute Cody Gakpo sealed the win with a header in the 76th minute after Mohamed Salah missed a penalty at the other end.
With five straight victories, Liverpool has ensured at least a spot in the February knockout stage play-offs. Manager Arne Slot expressed his admiration for facing Real Madrid, acknowledging the club’s illustrious Champions League history. “You know how special it is to play against a club that has won this competition so many times,” said Slot.
Real Madrid, now in 24th place in their group, is at risk of not advancing to the knockout stage after losing three of their last five games. Despite the setback, Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti offered support for French star Mbappé, who missed the crucial penalty. “This is a difficult moment for Mbappé. We will support him and give him love,” Ancelotti said.
Elsewhere, Inter Milan defeated Dinamo Zagreb 3-0 in Croatia to remain in second place with 13 points, ahead of Barcelona and Dortmund, both with 12 points. Dortmund secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Aston Villa, with English teenager Jamie Gittens opening the scoring and Ramy Bensebaini and Serhou Guirassy adding to the tally.
Aston Villa, who had started the Champions League with three straight wins, were held to a 0-0 draw against Juventus after Morgan Rogers’ stoppage-time goal was disallowed due to a foul on the goalkeeper. Villa is now one of seven teams with 10 points, on the outside of the top eight spots that guarantee automatic qualification to the round of 16.
Monaco, who led Benfica 2-1 at one point, eventually lost 3-2 as Benfica capitalized on Monaco’s reduced numbers after a red card. In Italy, Lille beat Bologna 2-1, thanks to a brace from Ngal’ayel Mukau, while Celtic earned a vital point in their 1-1 draw with Club Brugge after a stunning goal from Daizen Maeda.
PSV Eindhoven completed the night’s most dramatic comeback, defeating Shakhtar Donetsk 3-2 after trailing 2-0 at halftime. Malik Tillman’s long-range strike in the 90th minute and Ricardo Pepi’s goal in the fifth minute of injury time secured the win for the Dutch side.
Red Star Belgrade finally earned their first points of the campaign with a dominant 5-1 victory over Stuttgart, while Sturm Graz secured a 1-0 win over Girona, with Mika Biereth scoring the only goal of the match.
As the Champions League group stage nears its conclusion, Liverpool’s perfect record stands out, while other teams continue to battle for crucial spots in the knockout rounds.
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