Liverpool back on track while Real, Bayern and Chelsea win in Champions League
Hugo Ekitike found the net against his previous team as Liverpool returned to form with a commanding 5-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday, joining Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich among the evenings successful sides.
The Merseyside outfit arrived in Germany shaken by four straight losses, one of which was a 1-0 setback to Galatasaray in their previous European fixture.
The visitors staged an impressive comeback to thrash the German hosts, who endured another 5-1 loss in Europe, following their opening 5-1 success in the competition.
Rasmus Kristensen put the home team ahead initially, but Ekitike sprinted clear to level the score against the club he departed in July via a 79 million pound transfer worth 105.5 million dollars.
Virgil van Dijk nodded Liverpool into the lead from a set piece corner just before the break, and Ibrahima Konate extended the advantage to 3-1 shortly afterwards with a similar header.
Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai sealed the points with additional strikes after the interval, lifting Liverpool to 10th position in the 36-team league format table.
I am unsure if it counts as a statement performance, but it is certainly a victory we can develop from, Van Dijk shared with TNT Sports.
Kane scores again
Chelsea triumphed by an identical margin over Ajax at Stamford Bridge, in a contest marked by an early dismissal and three spot-kicks in the opening period.
Dutch midfielder Kenneth Taylor received his marching orders for the visitors prior to goals from Marc Guiu and Moises Caicedo for the English hosts.
Wout Weghorst halved the deficit from the penalty spot for Ajax, yet Enzo Fernandez and Estevao slotted home further penalties for Chelsea before the teams turned around.
Tyrique George completed the scoring later on, creating a historic Champions League moment where three teenagers netted for one club in a single match.
We place significant faith in our young talents, Maresca remarked regarding the contributions from Guiu, Estevao and George. That approach defines the clubs ethos, encompassing both purchases and academy graduates.
Chelsea have claimed victory in their most recent two continental matches after kicking off with a 3-1 reversal at Bayern.
Ajax languish at the foot of the table as one of just two sides pointless after three outings, the other being Jose Mourinhos Benfica.
Bayern join four other perfect squads on nine points after Harry Kane notched his 20th goal across 12 club games this term during a 4-0 stroll past Club Brugge at the Allianz Arena.
Seventeen-year-old Lennart Karl opened the scoring, with Kane, Luis Diaz and Nicolas Jackson also finding the target for the German title holders.
Real Madrid reached nine points too after grinding out a narrow 1-0 success versus Juventus at the Santiago Bernabeu, where Harry Kanes fellow Englishman Jude Bellingham broke his season duck.
Bellingham struck around the hour, tapping in the rebound following Vinicius Jrs shot against the post. Juventus have now failed to win in seven successive matches.
I am delighted with the result, it proved a challenging encounter with opportunities for both sides and we needed to battle hard, yet it was a crucial success against strong opposition, said Madrid shot-stopper Thibaut Courtois to Movistar.
Spurs draw with Monaco
Tottenham Hotspur stood alone among Englands six entrants in dropping points midweek, settling for a goalless stalemate on the road at Monaco.
In Lisbon, the Portuguese title holders Sporting overturned an early deficit to overcome Marseille 2-1, in a match decided by a late first-half sending off.
Igor Paixao fired Marseille into the lead with a brilliant effort, but Emerson Palmieri picked up a second booking for simulation after a penalty award was rescinded.
Sporting capitalised on their numerical superiority to draw level through Geny Catamo post-interval, before Alisson Santos clinched the decisive goal.
Nigerian ace Victor Osimhen bagged a double as Galatasaray downed Bodo/Glimt 3-1 in Istanbul, Yunus Akgun added the third prior to Andreas Helmensens late consolation.
Athletic Bilbao rallied from an opening-minute strike by Leandro Andrade to defeat Azerbaijans Qarabag 3-1 at San Mames, with Gorka Guruzeta scoring twice around Robert Navarros effort for the home team.
Atalantas clash with Slavia Prague ended in a 0-0 deadlock in the final fixture of the night.
The forthcoming Champions League round in two weeks features key encounters like Paris Saint-Germain facing Bayern, and Liverpool hosting Real Madrid.