Matchday 7 Recap: Thrills and Surprises
The UEFA Champions League group stage reached its penultimate matchday with a thrilling evening of football. From a goal-fest in Lisbon to a stunning comeback in Madrid, the action was relentless.
Monaco and Atalanta Cruise to Victory
Monaco’s Wilfried Singo headed home an early goal to secure a 1-0 victory over Aston Villa. Meanwhile, Atalanta earned their first home win of the campaign with a comprehensive 5-0 triumph against Sturm Graz. Mateo Retegui, Mario Pasalic, Charles De Ketelaere, Ademola Lookman, and Marco Brescianini found the net for the Italian side.
Atletico Madrid’s Dramatic Comeback
Atletico de Madrid staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Bayer Leverkusen 2-1. Despite having Pablo Barrios sent off, Julian Alvarez scored twice to overturn Piero Hincapie’s opener. Hincapie was later dismissed, leaving Leverkusen with ten men and ultimately handing Atletico the victory.
Bologna Stuns Borussia Dortmund
Bologna claimed their first-ever Champions League win with a 2-1 upset of Borussia Dortmund. Serhou Guirassy put Dortmund ahead, but Thijs Dallinga and Samuel Iling-Junior struck in the second half to complete the comeback.
Club Brugge and Juventus Play Out Draw
Club Brugge and Juventus played out a goalless draw in a close contest. Both teams had chances to win but ultimately had to settle for a point each.
PSV Holds Off Crvena Zvezda
PSV Eindhoven held on for a 3-2 victory over Crvena Zvezda despite being reduced to ten men. Luuk de Jong scored two headers, while Ryan Flamingo added another. Crvena Zvezda fought back with goals from Cherif Ndiaye and Mirko Ivanic, but PSV held on for the win.
Liverpool Extends Winning Streak
Liverpool maintained their perfect record in the league phase with a 2-1 victory over LOSC Lille. Mohamed Salah and Harvey Elliott scored for Liverpool, while Jonathan David netted for Lille. The win keeps Liverpool top of the group.
Stuttgart Condemns Slovan Bratislava to Defeat
Stuttgart kept their hopes of knockout qualification alive with a 3-1 win over Slovan Bratislava. Jamie Leweling scored twice, while Fabian Rieder added another. Idjessi Metsoko briefly gave Slovan hope, but Stuttgart held on for the victory.
Barcelona’s Comeback Stunner
Barcelona pulled off a remarkable 5-4 comeback victory against Benfica in Lisbon. Vangelis Pavlidis’ hat-trick had put Benfica in control, but Raphinha’s late strike sealed a dramatic win for the Blaugrana. Robert Lewandowski and Eric Garcia also scored for Barcelona, while an own goal from Ronald Araujo briefly set them back.
Matchday 8 Fixtures
The final matchday of the group stage promises more thrilling encounters:
- Inter vs Monaco
- Aston Villa vs Celtic
- Barcelona vs Atalanta
- Sturm Graz vs Leipzig
- Salzburg vs Atletico de Madrid
- Bayer Leverkusen vs Sparta Praha
- Sporting CP vs Bologna
- Borussia Dortmund vs Shakhtar Donetsk
- Manchester City vs Club Brugge
- Juventus vs Benfica
- Young Boys vs Crvena Zvezda
- PSV Eindhoven vs Liverpool
- Bayern Munich vs Slovan Bratislava
- Stuttgart vs Paris Saint-Germain
- Juventus vs Benfica
- Barcelona vs Atalanta
