Liverpool’s 100% record in the Champions League ended when they lost 3-2 at PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday but it was mission accomplished for Arne Slot’s side as they finished top of the revamped group stage.

A much-changed Liverpool, bidding to make it eight wins from eight, led twice in the Netherlands through Cody Gakpo’s penalty, against his old club, and Harvey Elliott.

Johan Bakayoko and Ismael Saibari equalised for PSV and Ricardo Pepi completed a remarkable first half by scoring what turned out to be the winner in stoppage time.

Liverpool ended with 10 men after debutant Amara Nallo was shown a straight red card for a rash challenge, shortly after coming on as a substitute.

Despite the loss, only their third of the season in all competitions, Slot’s side topped the group stage with 21 points, two ahead of Barcelona who could only draw their last game against Atalanta.

PSV will have to take their chances in the playoffs as they finished in 14th place.

“We can take a lot of positives from tonight and it was a chance to give the young lads a chance,” Liverpool defender Andy Robertson said. “We got our noses in front at 2-1 and then were a bit naive, which usually doesn’t happen.

“Results went our way elsewhere so we finish top and that’s what we wanted at the start of the season.”

Gakpo got the chance to silence his former fans after Joey Veerman brought down Federico Chiesa.

Bakayoko equalised with a clinical finish after leaving two Liverpool defenders on the deck in the 35th minute but Elliott restored the visitors’ lead five minutes later when he poached a rebound after an effort by Chiesa was saved.

Saibari thumped a second equaliser high past Caoimhin Kelleher to make it 2-2 before American Pepi provided the deftest of touches to turn Mauro Junior’s cross over the line.

The pace dropped after the interval as Gakpo departed to an ovation from both sets of fans.

Nallo came on for his senior Liverpool debut in the final minutes but it will not be the happiest of memories as he was shown a red card for a rash challenge on Bakayoko having been on the pitch for four minutes.

“It is cruel but he has never played first-team football before and to make your debut in the Champions League is probably the hardest,” Slot said of the 18-year-old.

-Reuters

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Expectedly, Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman had a great night for Atalanta and was on the scoresheet, but his effort was not enough to his Serie A club.

 Real Madrid were the dominant side of the night, winning 3-2 away at Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo.

The slim win, no doubt kept the defending champion on slim hope of automatic qualification in the tournament should they pick vital wins in their last two matches at home.

A dominant first-half showing saw Madrid take a deserved lead through Kylian Mbappe, whose departure from injury before the interval changed the narrative of the game. Atalanta pounced on the uncertainty as Charles De Ketelaere scored a penalty with the final kick of the first half.

Vinicius Junior pounced on a fortunate deflection to restore Madrid’s advantage and Jude Bellingham scored soon after, but Atalanta slashed the deficit with Ademola Lookman’s fine strike from the edge of the box.

Atalanta had the momentum on their side and Lookman continued to torment Madrid’s makeshift defence, with the visitors forced to hold on and watch the clock tick down. Mario Retegui should have scored in the dying embers, volleying over from three yards out when it looked easier to score.

The final whistle was music to the ears of every Madrid fan. Three points take them to within a further three of the automatic qualification spots, although that gap could be stretched slightly after Wednesday’s matches.

RESULTS

Atalanta 2-3 Madrid

Girona 0-1 Liverpool

Brugge 2-1 Sporting

Zagreb 0-0 Celtic

Leverkusen 1-0 Inter

Brest 1-0 PSV

Leipzig 2-3 Aston Villa

Salzburg 0- PSG

Shakhtar 1-5

WEDNESDAY’S FIXTURES

Borussia Vs Barca

Juventus Vs Man City

Atletico Vs Bratislava

Lille Vs Sturm Graz

Milan Vs Zvezda

Arsenal Vs Monaco

Benfica Vs Bologna

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti hopes Kylian Mbappe will not be sidelined for an extended period after the striker paved the way for a 3-2 Champions League win at Atalanta on Tuesday but was forced off with an injury a few minutes after scoring the opener.

Real Madrid have endured a series of injuries this season, with several key players missing significant time, including Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao who are out for the rest of the campaign with ACL tears.

“Mbappe has suffered an overload, an ischial (lower pelvis) discomfort,” Ancelotti told Movistar Plus.

“It doesn’t seem serious, but we’ll see tomorrow after the exams. He couldn’t sprint, it was bothering him a bit and we decided to make the substitution.”

Facing heavy criticism for his poor form in his first few months with Real Madrid after signing as a free agent from Paris St Germain, Mbappe was having arguably one of his best games of the season at Atalanta, scoring the opener in the 10th minute and making menacing runs.

But his night lasted only 35 minutes, when he fell to the floor and asked to be substituted before being replaced by Rodrygo.

Vinicius Jr, who was returning to the side after missing the last two weeks with a muscle injury, was on the periphery for most of the game but made the most of the chance he got, netting in the 56th minute to put the visitors back in front after Charles de Ketelaere had equalised with a penalty right before the break.

Jude Bellingham extended Real’s lead three minutes later and, after Ademola Lookman reduced the deficit in the 65th, the visitors’ goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois worked his magic with a string of saves to secure a hard-fought win.

With two games left, Real are 18th in the 36-team table on nine points, three points off the top eight spots which secure direct qualification to the last 16. Atalanta are ninth on 11 points.

“It’s a very important victory, not everyone wins here,” Ancelotti said.

“We suffered and fought hard, there is no Champions League without suffering. They were pushing, but we started well in the second half. We are very happy. It was a win that is very good for us, not just for the points, but to build confidence.

“It’s still difficult to finish in the top eight, but we have two games to pick up points. Let’s see what happens.”

-Reuters