Champions League action saw Liverpool dominate at home, securing a decisive 4-0 victory against Bayer Leverkusen, managed by Xabi Alonso. However, the day will be largely remembered for its shocking outcomes across the tournament.
Real Madrid faced a surprising 3-1 defeat at the hands of AC Milan, while Manchester City, after an early advantage, suffered a staggering 4-1 loss to Sporting Lisbon, led by future Manchester United manager Rúben Amorim. In a thrilling turn of events, Scottish side Celtic overcame a deficit to triumph over Bundesliga’s RB Leipzig with a remarkable 5-1 scoreline in Glasgow.
Below are three key insights from Tuesday’s matches as Matchday 4 commenced.
AC Milan shocks Real Madrid at the Bernabéu
With a combined total of 22 European titles, the clash in Madrid was a face-off between the two most decorated clubs in Champions League history.
Despite recent struggles in La Liga, including a significant 4-0 defeat to Barcelona, Real Madrid entered the match as favorites. Meanwhile, AC Milan’s season has been inconsistent, both in the Champions League and Serie A.
However, the game at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu unfolded differently. The Rossoneri showcased their energy from the outset, taking the lead in just 12 minutes. U.S. national team player Christian Pulisic provided a precise corner that Malick Thiaw converted with a close-range header:
Real Madrid equalized through a penalty from Vini Jr., but Milan quickly regained the advantage before halftime. Pulisic played a pivotal role again, assisting Rafael Leão with a clever cutback that set up Álvaro Morata to finish off the rebound from Leão’s attempt.
In the second half, Tijjani Reijnders secured Milan’s victory with an additional goal. This defeat placed Real Madrid at 2-2 in the current season, leaving the 15-time Champions League winners languishing in 17th place among the 36 teams in the league stage.
Manchester City suffers an unexpected loss in Lisbon
Maximiliano Araújo opened the scoring for Sporting shortly after halftime, followed by Gyökeres converting a penalty to extend the lead to 3-1. Despite having ample time to respond, City was unable to capitalize on their chances. Gyökeres completed his hat trick with another penalty, sealing a historic win for Sporting with about 10 minutes left in regular time.
This loss marked Manchester City’s third consecutive defeat across all competitions, a troubling trend not seen since 2018.
American midfielder Malik Tillman, who has faced challenges securing starts for the national team, continued his standout season with PSV Eindhoven. He delivered a Man of the Match performance in a 4-0 victory against Girona, contributing to three of the goals. Notably, he scored an impressive solo goal after a remarkable 40-yard run from midfield:
Tillman and Pulisic were among nine American players who featured in Tuesday’s Champions League matches. Yunus Musah also started for AC Milan, while Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty formed a central defense partnership for Celtic. Ricardo Pepi came on as a late substitute for PSV, and Juventus players Weston McKennie and Tim Weah appeared off the bench in a 1-1 draw against Lille, Weah’s former team.
Additionally, 18-year-old Cole Campbell made his Champions League debut, playing the final 13 minutes in Borussia Dortmund’s narrow 1-0 win over Sturm Graz from Austria.
