In a surprising twist of events in the UEFA Champions League, European giants Real Madrid and Manchester City faced humbling defeats on Tuesday night. Defending champions Madrid lost 3-1 at home to AC Milan, while Manchester City fell 4-1 at Sporting Lisbon, with Erling Haaland missing a penalty that could have changed the course of the game.
Real Madrid Falters at Home
Real Madrid’s loss to AC Milan was a continuation of a troubling trend. Christian Pulisic’s corner led to a powerful header by Malick Thiaw, giving Milan the lead in the 12th minute. Although Vinícius Júnior equalised from a penalty after being tripped in the box, Alvaro Morata capitalised on a rebound to put Milan ahead once again. Morata’s return to Santiago Bernabéu was marked by boos from Madrid fans who remembered his goal that helped Juventus advance over Real Madrid in the 2015 semi-final.
Tijjani Reijnders sealed the victory for Milan with a third goal, leaving Madrid fans visibly frustrated. This was the second time since 2009 that Madrid had suffered back-to-back defeats at home with at least three goals conceded in each, as noted by Opta. Goalkeeper Andriy Lunin admitted, “The last two defeats are inexplicable. We have to analyse and react quickly.”
Sporting’s dominance and Manchester City struggles
Manchester City’s clash against Sporting Lisbon initially looked promising, with Phil Foden scoring in the fourth minute. But Sporting soon took control, with Swedish forward Viktor Gyökeres leading the charge. Gyökeres equalised before halftime, assisted by Geovany Quenda, and Maximiliano Araújo’s goal shortly after the break put Sporting ahead.
Haaland’s missed penalty – hitting the crossbar – further dampened City’s comeback hopes, while Gyökeres coolly converted his penalty to make it 4-1, completing his hat-trick. This marked the first time since 2018 that City had lost three consecutive matches, including recent losses to Tottenham in the League Cup and Bournemouth in the Premier League. Reflecting on the string of defeats, Bernardo Silva said, “In my seven and a half years at the club, I don’t remember losing three games in a row.”
Better night for Liverpool FC
Liverpool FC, meanwhile, enjoyed a strong showing against Bayer Leverkusen with a 4-0 victory at Anfield. Luis Diaz delivered a hat-trick, and Cody Gakpo added another, making it a night to remember for the Reds and Xabi Alonso’s return as Leverkusen’s manager. Liverpool’s victory pushed them to the top of the league phase table, with four consecutive wins.
Other highlights across Europe
Elsewhere, Nicolas Kuhn scored twice as Celtic defeated Leipzig 3-1 at home, while Juventus and Lille ended their game in a 1-1 draw. In a nail-biting finish, Donyell Malen’s late goal gave Borussia Dortmund a 1-0 win over Sturm Graz.
Monaco, with a late goal from Thilo Kehrer, beat Bologna 1-0, while Malik Tillman starred in PSV Eindhoven’s 4-0 win over Girona. Dinamo Zagreb added to Slovan Bratislava’s woes with a 4-1 comeback victory.
Moving Forward
As the Champions League group stage progresses, both Real Madrid and Manchester City will need to address critical gaps in their recent performances. Their unexpected losses serve as reminders of the competition’s unpredictability, where even the strongest clubs must remain vigilant.
