Federico Valverde struck in stoppage time to give Real Madrid a dramatic 3-2 Champions League victory at AEK Athens on Wednesday, while Liverpool surrendered the lead twice in a 3-2 defeat at Fenerbahce.
Manchester City avoided the same fate at RB Leipzig, Erling Haaland’s 78th-minute winner securing a 3-2 victory. Arsenal survived a late scare to beat Slavia Prague 2-1 and move third on 10 points.
Real twice came from behind to maintain their perfect start and sit second on 12 points from four matches, behind Paris St Germain on goal difference.
AEK threatened from the outset and their early pressure was rewarded in the 12th minute when Aboubakary Koita cut inside and fired into the top corner from just inside the box.
Thibaut Courtois denied Luka Jovic before Jude Bellingham,
who had an effort ruled out for offside in the 27th minute,
equalised five minutes later with a deft backheel from Marc
Cucurella’s low cross.
Koita’s driving run and pass set up Stavros Pilios to
restore AEK’s lead in the 75th minute, his low shot going
through Courtois’ legs.
Kylian Mbappe tapped in Denzel Dumfries’ cross three minutes
later before Valverde delivered the winner, leaving AEK 29th on
three points.
Liverpool arrived in Istanbul with three wins from three but
Vedat Muriqi’s 79th-minute winner ended that run and earned
Fenerbahce their first victory of the campaign.
Trey Nyoni opened the scoring in the 25th minute, meeting a
defensive header with a low volley that deflected off Kojo
Peprah Oppong and wrongfooted Fenerbahce keeper Ederson.
Mason Greenwood levelled four minutes later with a free kick
that struck Jeremy Jacquet in the defensive wall and skidded
past Alisson.
Substitutes Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak combined to
restore Liverpool’s lead in the 69th minute. Gakpo exchanged
passes with Kostas Tsimikas before reaching the byline and
delivering a cross for Isak to power a close-range header past
Ederson.
The advantage lasted four minutes. Following a short corner,
N’Golo Kante crossed and Gakpo’s glancing header diverted the
ball away from Alisson, leaving Archie Brown to tap into an
unguarded net at the far post.
Brown then supplied the winner, looping the ball into the
box after a long throw was headed back to him. Surrounded by
three Liverpool defenders, Muriqi somehow headed past Alisson,
wrapping up a poor night for Liverpool’s defence.
Andoni Iraola’s side dropped to eighth with nine points,
while Fenerbahce climbed to 19th on five.
Man City led through Castello Lukeba’s 37th-minute own goal
as he tried to clear Nico O’Reilly’s cross, but Ridle Baku
equalised four minutes after halftime.
Enzo Fernandez restored City’s advantage in the 58th minute
before Antonio Nusa levelled three minutes later. Elliot
Anderson’s run and low cross then found Haaland, who slid in to
finish at the far post.
City are seventh on nine points, six points clear of
Leipzig, who are in the elimination places.
First-half goals from Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyokeres put
Arsenal in control in Prague. Wiktor Nowak punished Arsenal’s
failure to clear a cross in the final minute, but Slavia
remained 34th on one point.
Porto collected their first points with a 4-1 home victory
over Napoli. Scott McTominay cancelled out Jan Bednarek’s opener
before second-half goals from Gabri Veiga, Jakub Kiwior and a
Samu Aghehowa penalty secured victory. Porto are 26th and Napoli
27th, both on three points.
Konstantinos Karetsas scored Borussia Dortmund’s 72nd-minute
winner in a 2-1 victory over Real Betis after Aitor Ruibal had
cancelled out Fabio Silva’s opener. Betis, whose winning start
ended, are 11th on nine points, ahead of Dortmund in 12th.
Club Brugge won 2-1 at PSV through goals from Nicolo
Tresoldi and Carlos Forbs either side of Kodai Sano’s equaliser,
while Viking Stavanger beat Sabah 4-1.
Source: Khaleej Times