The fourth week of the UEFA Champions League group stage proved to be a night of frustration for two of Turkey’s most exciting young football talents, Arda Güler of Real Madrid and Kenan Yıldız of Juventus. Both players started for their respective European giants but were left empty-handed as their teams failed to clinch victories in pivotal matches.
Real Madrid Edged by Resurgent Liverpool
At Anfield, Real Madrid suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat against an assertive Liverpool side, marking a rare European stumble for the Spanish club. The decisive moment came from a towering header by Alexis Mac Allister, ending Liverpool’s challenging run of form with a commanding home victory.
Real Madrid were arguably fortunate to lose by just a single goal. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was forced into a series of exceptional saves to keep the score manageable throughout the contest.
Starting on the wing, 19-year-old Arda Güler put in a solid performance before being substituted in the 82nd minute for former Liverpool player, Alexander-Arnold. Güler contributed to the attack with one shot on target and maintained a commendable 88% passing accuracy.
The result means Liverpool moved up to nine points, drawing level with Real Madrid at the top of their group, setting up a thrilling fight for first place in the final two matchdays.
Juventus Stumbles at Home Against Sporting
Meanwhile, in Turin, 18-year-old Kenan Yıldız and Juventus were also denied three points, playing out a frustrating 1-1 draw at home against Portuguese champions Sporting Lisbon.
Sporting took an early lead through Maximiliano Araujo. While Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic swiftly responded with an equalizer in the 34th minute, the Italian side could not find the crucial breakthrough for a win despite dominating possession.
Yıldız played a pivotal role in creating attacking chances before being replaced by Jonathan David in the 87th minute. The young Turkish international recorded two key passes and achieved an impressive 84% passing accuracy, adding dynamism to the Bianconeri’s forward line.
The draw leaves Juventus in a perilous position, having accumulated only three points from their first four group-stage fixtures. They are hovering just above the elimination zone, facing immense pressure to secure results in their remaining matches to progress.
Tuesday’s Other Key Results
In other matches on Tuesday, several key results shifted the balance in their respective groups:
Arsenal secured a dominant 3-0 away victory at Slavia Prague, with Bukayo Saka converting a penalty and Mikel Merino netting twice.
Atlético Madrid, the upcoming rival of Turkish champions Galatasaray, mounted a comeback to defeat Union Saint-Gilloise 3-1 at home.
Another Galatasaray rival, AS Monaco, edged Bodø/Glimt 1-0 away, thanks to a first-half goal from Folarin Balogun.
Olympiacos and PSV Eindhoven played out a 1-1 draw in Greece.
Bayern Munich triumphed 2-1 at Paris Saint-Germain, with Brahim Díaz scoring a brace.
Tottenham Hotspur delivered a commanding 4-0 victory at home to Copenhagen.
The fourth week of UEFA Champions League action will continue on Wednesday, where the focus turns to the Netherlands for the highly anticipated away clash between Turkish champions Galatasaray and Dutch side Ajax.