UEFA Champions League
Man City beat Leipzig in Champions League nine-goal thriller
Jack Grealish scored a superb first Champions League goal as Manchester City survived Christopher Nkunku’s hat-trick to beat RB Leipzig 6-3 in a pulsating Group A opener on Wednesday (Sept 15).
Grealish admits the lure of playing on the Champions League stage convinced him to leave his boyhood club Aston Villa to join City in a club record £100 million (S$180 million) move in the close-season.
The England winger made the most of his first taste of the tournament’s bright lights with a brilliant solo effort in the second half at the Etihad Stadium.
Grealish also set up City’s first goal for Nathan Ake with a pin-point corner.
While City were snubbed by Cristiano Ronaldo when the Portugal superstar opted to join Manchester United, Pep Guardiola believes the younger Grealish is more than ample compensation and this influential display underlined why.
Nordi Mukiele’s own goal had doubled City’s lead before Nkunku got one back on a memorable personal evening for the French winger.
Riyad Mahrez’s penalty made it 3-1 and Nkunku netted again before Grealish’s moment of magic.
Nkunku’s third was followed by Joao Cancelo’s rocket and a red card for Leipzig’s former City defender Angelino.
Gabriel Jesus rounded off the goal-spree as City celebrated Guardiola’s 300th game in charge in fitting style.
There was more good news for Guardiola as Kevin De Bruyne impressed in his first game back from the ankle injury which had sidelined him since Aug 15.
Guardiola led City to their first Champions League final last season, but the Premier League champions were denied a maiden European Cup crown in a limp 1-0 loss against Chelsea.
Guardiola insists that defeat will serve as the “motor” driving City’s challenge this term and they wasted little time seizing pole position in Group A.
Grealish shines
City were ahead in the 16th minute as Grealish’s corner found Ake and he rose highest for a powerful header that Peter Gulacsi tipped onto the crossbar, only to see it bounce down over the goal-line.
It was Ake’s first City goal since September 2020 and his first ever in the Champions League.
City doubled their lead thanks to Mukiele’s comical blunder in the 28th minute.
De Bruyne tenaciously eluded three Leipzig players and curled a sublime cross towards Grealish that the panicked Mukiele diverted into his own net as he tried to head back to Gulacsi.
Nkunku punished sloppy defending to give the visitors hope in the 42nd minute.
When Emil Forsberg’s cross reached Mukiele at the far post, Ake was guilty of ball-watching as the Leipzig defender nodded towards Nkunku, who dispatched his header past Ederson.
Suitably chastened, City hit back in first half stoppage-time when Lukas Klostermann blocked Ferran Torres’ header with his out-stretched arm and Mahrez smashed the spot-kick into the top corner.
Their defensive flaws remained alarming and Leipzig reduced the deficit again in the 51st minute.
Dani Olmo’s floated cross found Nkunku left unmarked by Ake and he thumped a fierce header past Ederson.
Grealish appeared to have settled City’s nerves in the 56th minute.
Cutting in from the left, Grealish left Tyler Adams trailing in his wake as he curled a brilliant finish into the far corner.
Nkunku completed his hat-trick with a predatory close-range strike from a tight angle in the 73rd minute.
But Cancelo quashed any hopes of a Leipzig fightback two minutes later when he grabbed City’s fifth with a thunderous drive from 25 yards Angelino was dismissed in the 79th minute for a crude foul on Cancelo and Jesus tapped in six minutes later to put the seal on a memorable evening.
-AFP
UEFA Champions League
David strikes as Lille end Real’s long unbeaten run
A first-half penalty earned Lille a shock 1-0 home victory over holders Real Madrid in the Champions League group phase on Wednesday, ending the 15-times European Cup winners’ 14-game unbeaten run in the competition.
Jonathan David converted from the spot three minutes into first-half stoppage time to hand Real, who had not lost in their previous 36 matches in all competitions, their first defeat since January.
The result put Ligue 1 side Lille on three points from two games in the new format of Europe’s premier club competition.
Real, who won their opening match against VfB Stuttgart, are also on three points.
“On the penalty, I try to focus, to keep calm to take a good shot but I’m confident when it comes to taking penalties,” David said. “It has not sunk in yet but it’s a memorable night.”
Real keeper Andriy Lunin said his team had lacked their usual aggression.
“It’s difficult to analyse right after. (We lacked) aggression, creativity, in the end, what we always have,” he said.
“To fight a bit more. In the second half we showed more desire, but in the first half we were worse, that’s obvious. We want to win because we know what colours we’re playing in. But that’s OK. Courage, keep working and prepare for the next game.”
Carlo Ancelotti’s side started with Kylian Mbappe, who joined from Ligue 1 champions Paris St Germain in June, on the bench after the France captain picked up a muscle injury last week.
Real’s Vinicius Jr. had the first chance with a low shot in the sixth minute as the visitors controlled the pace and the second came when Endrick’s close-range attempt was blocked by Lucas Chevalier.
Lille went close to opening the scoring after 26 minutes when Andriy Lunin made a spectacular double save to deny David, first from the forward’s header, then by tipping away the Canadian’s follow-up shot.
Their relentless pressure paid off in stoppage time when Eduardo Camavinga handled Edon Zhegrova’s free kick.
A VAR review ensued and David confidently converted the resulting penalty.
The hosts continued to apply pressure in the second half, refusing to sit back and wait as Real enjoyed possession, cutting off the supply to England midfielder Jude Bellingham.
Ancelotti sent Mbappe and Luka Modric on to replace Endrick and Eder Militao and Lille survived a late Real onslaught to hang on for the victory.
-Reuters
UEFA Champions League
Ancelotti makes no excuses after Real’s shock defeat at Lille
Defending champions Real Madrid failed to show the best version of themselves in a shock 1-0 Champions League defeat at Lille on Wednesday and must accept the criticism that comes their way, manager Carlo Ancelotti said.
Lille pressed relentlessly and took the win courtesy of a Jonathan David penalty in first-half stoppage time to hand Ancelotti’s team their first defeat in all competitions since January.
Real Madrid – record 15-times Champions League winners – have three points after two matches following their opening win over VfB Stuttgart.
“Everything was pretty bad. We did badly with the ball, although the team was quite compact in the first half, it was difficult for us to recover the ball, it was difficult for us to make transitions,” Ancelotti told reporters.
“We tried to be a little more aggressive, but it was difficult for us. So… We have to look at things with a cool head, not throw everything away. But obviously we have to improve.
“I am very sincere. The criticism for today’s game is fair, correct and we have to accept it because it is like that. We have not shown a good version in this game.”
Ancelotti said Lille “deserved” to win despite Real’s improved showing in the second half of the match.
“It was difficult for us to get into the game at the level of intensity, at the level of duels, at the level of clarity of play,” the Italian added.
“Obviously, the game could have been tied because we had opportunities at the end, but it wasn’t deserved.
“So we have to learn, as it happened the last time we lost a game, learn from what we have to improve, which is quite clear. I think it’s not very complicated.”
Real, who are second in the LaLiga standings with 18 points, next host third-placed Villarreal on Saturday.
-Reuters
UEFA Champions League
Lookman shines as Atalanta outclass Shakhtar
Ademola Lookman scored one goal and was heavily involved in the other two to drive Atalanta to a 3-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Wednesday as the Italians outclassed their Ukrainian opponents in Gelsenkirchen.
Atalanta have four points from two games, having held Arsenal to a 0-0 draw in their opening match, and Shakhtar remained on one point, after they played out a scoreless draw in the first game against Italian side Bologna.
Atalanta went ahead in the 21st minute when Lookman curled a cross into the area which found Berat Djimsiti in front of goal and he controlled the ball before poking it past the keeper.
Atalanta doubled the lead a minute before the break when Sead Kolasinac squared a pass to Lookman in the middle of the area and the Nigerian struck a first-time shot through the legs of his marker Marlon Gomes into the bottom corner of the net.
The game was all but over as a contest three minutes into the second half after Lookman played the ball out wide to Davide Zappacosta and his cross into the six-yard box was headed home by Raoul Bellanova.
At 3-0, Lookman, who also hit the crossbar in the first half, was taken off with over half an hour to play, his work done for the night and the tie ended with the same scoreline as the last time the sides met in the Champions League in 2019.
-Reuters
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