Champions League leaders Liverpool have made it six wins from six with a tight 1-0 win at Spanish club Girona after a controversial VAR call – but manager Arne Slot was far from impressed.
Mohamed Salah’s penalty on the hour made the difference after the hosts had dominated the first half. Girona stay 30th and currently out of last-16 contention in the mammoth new table after five defeats and one win.
Real Madrid, who desperately needed a win to stay in contention, escaped with a 3-2 result when Atalanta’s Mateo Retegui shot over the empty net from a few yards out in the fourth and final minute of added time.
Aston Villa stayed third with an epic 3-2 win that left RB Leipzig with no chance of making the knockout stages.
Bayer Leverkusen scored late to edge AC Milan 1-0 while Dinamo Zagreb drew 0-0 with Celtic as both sides stayed in the unseeded play-off spots.
Top dogs Liverpool had already wrapped up a last-16 play-off place and with just two matchdays remaining, the Reds could qualify this week as a top-eight finisher if results go their way on Tuesday and Wednesday.
A new era of the UEFA Champions League is here, only on Stan Sport.
The Reds were on the back foot in the first half at the modest Estadi Montilivi, Bryan Gil slipping at a key moment and veteran Dutch defender Daley Blind also going close as Liverpool keeper Alisson – returning from injury – was constantly busy.
Darwin Nunez then had a couple of Liverpool chances before half-time.
Girona, in their first Champions League season, have become a force in Spain thanks to the backing of the City Football Group which also owns Manchester City and other sides globally.
But the Catalans paid the price for not scoring while on top when Donny van de Beek was adjudged to have fouled Luis Diaz in the box as the Colombian lost his boot.
A VAR review led to the spot-kick and Salah, looking closer to signing a new Liverpool deal having appeared to be in his last season, converted with aplomb.
“If you ask me about all the six games, I’m really pleased with all the results,” said manager Slot. “I’m really pleased with the first five games, but I’m far from pleased about the performance. What wasn’t I pleased about? I wasn’t pleased with a lot. Especially two things.
“If you play against a team that has such a good idea about football and knows how to bring the ball out from the back, you need to be so intense if you want to make it difficult for them. “But if you are waiting a few seconds to press them then this team can cause you a lot of problems.
“They showed in their games, except PSV, in the Champions League this season. I almost feel sorry for them as they deserve so much more. We had hardly any control at all over the game. Maybe the second half was a bit better – I’m trying to be positive.”
Villa fairytale continues
Aston Villa were twice pegged back by winless RB Leipzig but scored late to almost certinaly clinch a place in the knockout stages.
Ross Barkley’s deflected strike secured the victory late on after Lois Openda and Christoph Baumgartner cancelled out goals from John McGinn and Jhon Duran, who scored a long range screamer.
It took just three minutes for the Premier League side to take the lead when Ollie Watkins nodded down Matty Cash’s cross to leave McGinn with the simple task of smashing home from close range.
Villa looked to be in total control when goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez horribly mis-judged a long kick allowing Openda to score into an empty net.
“It cannot be underestimated the size of that win. That was a performance and a win that Unai Emery would have wanted from his team tonight,” said former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson on the BBC.
“They were outstanding at times, two silly mistakes cost them the goals, other than that, defensively they weren’t really under any kind of threat, going forward they looked like they were going to create and cause problems.
“That makes their Champions League campaign thus far a real success.”
Mbappe’s landmark goal as Real hang in
Kylian Mbappe scored his 50th Champions League goal and superstars Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham were also on target as Real Madrid secured a much-needed win away at Atalanta – surving a grand stand finish from the hosts.
Real had lost three of their five games before the match in Italy and were well outside the automatic qualification spots.
France international Mbappe scored in the 10th minute, breaking clear of his marker before finishing smartly.
He was forced off with an injury just before halftime and Atalanta equalised through a Charles De Ketelaere penalty after Sead Kolasinac was tripped inside the box.
Real battled back after the break to take a 3-1 lead.
Ademola Lookman gave Atalanta hope by scoring at Thibaut Courtois’ near post and the left sided attacker almost set up an injury time winger, whipping the ball into the centre where Retegui steered it over the bar.
Newshttps://https://ift.tt/bzKdTUP boss ‘trying to stay positive’ as Salah keeps them perfect in CL, Villa win thriller, Real let off hook
إرسال تعليق