Como had an incredible night out. Photo: Getty Images
Cesc Fabregas’ Como became just the second side ever to score NINE goals in a UEFA Champions League game as they left Lens shellshocked in France, while Federico Valverde came to the rescue for Real Madrid with a breathtaking winning goal in a 3-2 win in Athens.
There were goals aplenty on Thursday AEDT as Liverpool were undone in Turkiye but Manchester City and Arsenal got the job done.
Liverpool throw away two leads as Kuyt’s Fenerbahce end perfect start
Fenerbahce 3-2 Liverpool
Fenerbahce: Mason Greenwood 29′, Archie Brown 73′, Vedat Muriqi 79′
Liverpool: Trey Nyoni 25′, Alexander Isak 69′
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Liverpool went ahead twice in Istanbul and held each lead for four minutes. Andoni Iraola made five changes, and 19-year-old Nyoni scored his first professional goal with a volley that took a deflection and sent Ederson the wrong way. Greenwood’s free-kick then deflected off Jeremy Jacquet to make it 1-1. Isak came off the bench and headed in Cody Gakpo’s cross with his first touch. A mix-up between Gakpo and Alisson let former Birmingham academy graduate Brown tap in the equaliser, and Muriqi headed home a long throw to win it. Liverpool have lost for the first time in this season’s competition, and Fenerbahce, managed by former Red Dirk Kuyt, have their first league-phase win.
Iraola said in his post-match press conference: “Cheap goals. Messy goals. The free-kick is quite far out, through the wall. The last goal was a long throw, the second one Cody (Gakpo) touched the ball just in front of Ali (goalkeeper Alisson).
“We have been dealing well with these situations up to today. It has cost us. We have to do better.”
Valverde’s stoppage-time stunner keeps Real Madrid perfect in Athens
AEK Athens 2-3 Real Madrid
AEK Athens: Aboubakary Koita 12′, Stavros Pilios 75′
Real Madrid: Jude Bellingham 32′, Kylian Mbappe 78′, Federico Valverde 90+2′
Real Madrid came from behind twice and have now won all four league-phase games. Koita opened the scoring with a left-footed finish, and Bellingham equalised with an outrageous improvised flick. Koita then set up Pilios to put AEK back in front in front of a delirious home crowd.
Mbappe levelled three minutes later, his goal in a sixth consecutive Champions League appearance, with a lovely finish at the back post following swift build up from Bellingham and Dumfries down the right, before Valverde won it with a strike from distance in stoppage time that silenced the home faithful, pressure eventually taking its toll after Madrid had 70 per cent of the ball.
Koita was sent off after the final whistle for continuing to protest to the referee.
Douvikas hat-trick as seven different scorers hand Como a 9-1 rout at Lens
Lens 1-9 Como
Lens: Ruben Aguilar 65′
Como: Anastasios Douvikas 7′, 32′, 57′, Nico Paz 40′, Lucas Da Cunha 47′, Marc-Oliver Kempf 53′, Mattia Liberali 62′, Martin Baturina 69′, Matteo Papaccioli 90+1′
Cesc Fabregas’ Serie A side continue to be a revelation in continental competition; they led 3-0 at half-time and scored six more after the break.
Douvikas completed his hat-trick with the sixth goal, and seven different Como players scored on an eye catching night.
Aguilar’s goal came with Lens already 7-0 down. Baturina added an eighth and 18-year-old academy player Papaccioli the ninth in stoppage time. Como had already beaten Leipzig and Manchester United in this league phase, either side of a 3-2 defeat at Feyenoord. They now sit fourth with 19 goals from four games.
Raya keeps Slavia out until the 90th minute as Arsenal stay unbeaten
Slavia Prague 1-2 Arsenal
Slavia Prague: W. Nowak 90′
Arsenal: Noni Madueke 9′, Viktor Gyokeres 38′
Gyokeres set up Madueke for the opener and scored Arsenal’s second from Mikel Merino’s pass. Slavia were the better side after the interval. David Raya made four saves, including tipping a header onto the post, and Slavia had other efforts cleared or blocked close to goal before Nowak converted Jurasek’s delivery in the 90th minute. Slavia finished with 18 shots to Arsenal’s 12. Arsenal have three wins and a draw at Bayern Munich and sit third on 10 points.
Haaland settles five-goal thriller in Leipzig to end City’s losing run
RB Leipzig 2-3 Manchester City
RB Leipzig: B. Baku 49′, A. Nusa 61′
Manchester City: Castello Lukeba 37′ (own goal), Enzo Fernandez 58′, Erling Haaland 78′
Leipzig defender Lukeba’s own goal gave Manchester City a half-time lead, Baku equalised early in the second half, and Fernandez restored the advantage before Nusa levelled three minutes later. Haaland scored the winner. City came into the game after Premier League defeats at Aston Villa and at home to Brighton. Their previous European results were a 2-0 win at Porto and a 4-2 home loss to Paris Saint-Germain.
Botheim double and McCarthy red card give Viking first league-phase win
Viking 4-1 Sabah
Viking: Erik Botheim 27′, 90+4′, Zlatko Tripic 69′, Henrik Falchener 81′
Sabah: Orphe Mbina
Australia Gianni Stensness enjoyed a start in the club’s first win. Mbina put Sabah ahead on the counterattack, and Botheim equalised. Tripic had a penalty saved but scored from the follow-up chance to put Viking ahead. Sabah defender Aden McCarthy was then sent off after VAR upgraded his card. Falchener headed in a corner, and Botheim added a second in added time. Viking had lost to Stuttgart and Aston Villa and drawn 3-3 at home with Bayern Munich.
Karetsas restores Dortmund’s lead five minutes after Betis equalise
Borussia Dortmund 2-1 Real Betis
Borussia Dortmund: Fabio Silva 49′, Konstantinos Karetsas 72′
Real Betis: Aitor Ruibal 67′
Silva put Dortmund in front, Ruibal levelled, and Karetsas scored the winner five minutes later. Betis had beaten Lille, Porto and Feyenoord and have now lost for the first time in the league phase.
Rafa Marin sees red as Porto beat Napoli 4-1 for their first points
Porto 4-1 Napoli
Porto: Jan Bednarek 11′, Gabri Veiga 71′, Jakub Kiwior 80′, Samu Aghehowa 90′ (pen)
Napoli: Scott McTominay 43′
Bednarek headed in a corner, and McTominay equalised before the break. Veiga restored Porto’s lead on the counterattack, and Kiwior headed in another corner. Napoli defender Rafa Marin was sent off for the foul on Aghehowa that gave away the penalty, and Aghehowa scored it. Bednarek and Veiga also hit the woodwork. Porto had lost their first three games, and Napoli have now lost three of four.
Seys sets up both as Forbs’ counterattack winner gives Brugge third straight win
PSV 1-2 Club Brugge
PSV: Kodai Sano 54′
Club Brugge: Nicolo Tresoldi 25′, Carlos Forbs 65′
Tresoldi headed in Joaquin Seys’ corner, and Sano equalised after half-time. Seys then set up Forbs for a left-footed finish on the counterattack. Yann Sommer made several saves as PSV chased an equaliser, and Brugge have now beaten Inter, Lens and PSV in successive games.
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