Liverpool maintained its perfect record in the Champions League on Wednesday, defeating reigning title holder Real Madrid 2-0 at Anfield and relegating the Spanish giants to an unexpected 24th place in the 36-team standings.
The loss was particularly painful for Kylian Mbappé, the star player who joined Madrid in the offseason. Mbappé had a penalty saved in the second half and was notably tackled to the ground by Liverpool’s Conor Bradley in a moment that quickly went viral.
Liverpool is the only team to have won all five matches in the new Champions League format under first-year coach Arne Slot, sitting two points ahead of Inter Milan, with Barcelona trailing in third, three points behind.
Remarkably, with three rounds remaining, Madrid finds itself just one place above potential elimination. The top eight teams at the end of January will advance directly to the round of 16 in March, while teams ranked ninth to 24th will enter a two-leg playoff in February. “This doesn’t change much, because even with a win it was going to be tough to secure a top-eight finish,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged. “It was a fair result.”
In other matches, Monaco missed a chance to move into second place after squandering a lead and losing 3-2 at home to Benfica, with Swiss forward Zeki Amdouni scoring the decisive goal in the 88th minute. Borussia Dortmund, the runner-up against Madrid last May, climbed to fourth place following a 3-0 victory over Dinamo Zagreb, with Jamie Gittens netting his fourth goal in five games.
A thrilling comeback occurred at PSV Eindhoven, where the home team rallied from two goals down against Shakhtar Donetsk to win 3-2, capped by a last-minute goal from U.S. forward Ricardo Pepi.
In a match that ended in a 1-1 draw, Celtic’s Cameron Carter-Vickers had a night to forget after scoring an own goal, misplaying a pass beyond goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. “One of those things,” Schmeichel said. “Cam gets pressed, and he hasn’t heard me shout that I’m not in (goal).”
Congo teammates Ngal’Ayel Mukau and Silas shone in victories for Lille and Red Star Belgrade, respectively. Mukau scored twice in Lille’s 2-1 win over Bologna, while Silas equalized for Red Star in a 5-1 thrashing of Stuttgart, though he celebrated modestly, as he is on loan from Stuttgart.
Aston Villa held Juventus to a goalless draw, thanks in part to a spectacular save by World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who denied a header from Francisco Conceição.
Bradley Shines Against Mbappé
Liverpool’s Conor Bradley was a standout performer, showcasing his defensive prowess by thwarting Mbappé during a crucial moment in the 32nd minute. The 21-year-old Northern Ireland defender, filling in for the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold, contributed offensively as well, providing a key pass for Alexis Mac Allister, who scored the opener in the 52nd minute.
After Liverpool’s Caoimhín Kelleher saved Mbappé’s penalty in the 61st minute, Mo Salah also missed a penalty for Liverpool in the 70th. However, substitute Cody Gakpo secured the victory with a header in the 77th minute.
Madrid, now with three losses in five matches, faces a challenging fixture against fifth-place Atalanta on December 10, following earlier defeats to Lille and AC Milan. Meanwhile, Liverpool will play 30th-place Girona on the same date, looking to continue their strong run into the round of 16.
Liverpool coach Arne Slot reflected on the significance of the match against Madrid, stating, “You know how special it is to play against a team that has won the Champions League so many times. They were a pain for Liverpool for many years too.”
First Wins for Red Star and Sturm Graz
In other notable results, Red Star Belgrade and Sturm Graz both secured their first points and wins of the tournament, ending four-game losing streaks. Red Star rallied against Stuttgart after falling behind early, with Silas scoring the equalizer in the 12th minute and displaying a humble celebration.
Sturm Graz triumphed 1-0 over Girona, marking their first Champions League victory since coach Christian Ilzer departed for Hoffenheim.
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