The latest round of the UEFA Champions League action delivered thrilling moments, upsets, and standout performances. Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. stole the show at the Santiago Bernabéu with a mesmerizing display that led his side to a crucial win, while Aston Villa continued their strong start with a commanding victory. Meanwhile, Juventus were stunned after a shock defeat, shaking up their qualification hopes.
Real Madrid 5-2 Borussia Dortmund
Real Madrid staged a thrilling comeback to secure a 5-2 win over Borussia Dortmund at the Santiago Bernabéu, overturning a two-goal deficit in spectacular fashion. Vinicius Jr. took center stage, netting a hat-trick to drive the reigning champions to victory in the Champions League group stage clash.
Dortmund stunned the home crowd with early strikes from Donyell Malen and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens around the 30-minute mark, putting them 2-0 ahead. However, Madrid began their resurgence when Antonio Rüdiger scored a vital header at the hour mark, setting the stage for Vinicius to lead an unforgettable comeback.
Vinicius Jr. equalized just minutes later with a sharp close-range finish, bringing Real Madrid level. The tide turned completely in their favor as Lucas Vázquez fired a fierce shot into the net in the 83rd minute, capping off a swift counter-attack to give Madrid the lead. Vinicius then completed his hat-trick with two dazzling displays of skill, scoring in the 86th and 93rd minutes, securing Real’s victory and his first-ever Champions League hat-trick.
AC Milan 3-1 Club Brugge
AC Milan finally secured their first Champions League win of the campaign, defeating Club Brugge 3-1, with Tijjani Reijnders playing a pivotal role by scoring two crucial goals. Milan took the lead in unusual fashion when Christian Pulisic’s corner evaded everyone at the near post and curled directly into the net. With Brugge reduced to 10 men following Raphael Onyedika’s red card for a reckless challenge, Milan seemed to have the game under control.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Brugge equalized through Sabbe, shocking the San Siro crowd. However, Milan substitutes Noah Okafor and Samuel Chukwueze provided crucial assists for Tijjani Reijnders, who scored twice in quick succession to secure the 3-1 victory for the Rossoneri.
Arsenal 1-0 Shakhtar
Arsenal edged past Shakhtar Donetsk with a narrow 1-0 win in their Champions League clash, courtesy of an own goal. The victory helped the Gunners bounce back from their recent defeat to Bournemouth. Though Arsenal struggled to find their rhythm, they still created several chances to increase their lead, including a missed second-half penalty by Leandro Trossard.
Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus both had early opportunities to score, with Martinelli’s effort resulting in the only goal of the match after his shot struck the post and ricocheted off Shakhtar goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk into the net. Arsenal’s defense remained steadfast throughout the game, making them one of only two teams yet to concede a goal in the competition after three matches.
Monaco 5-1 Red Star Belgrade
Monaco forward Takumi Minamino struck twice as they convincingly defeated Red Star Belgrade 5-1 in their Champions League clash on Tuesday, moving up to seven points from their first three group-stage matches. Breel Embolo, Wilfried Singo, who unleashed a powerful long-range effort, and Maghnes Akliouche also found the net for the hosts, who controlled the game and created numerous additional chances in a dominant performance.
The Serbian champions, who will host Barcelona on November 6 for their next Champions League fixture, have endured a tough campaign, losing all three of their group-stage matches so far. Monaco, meanwhile, will face their next test away at Bologna on November 5 as they aim to continue their strong form in the competition.
Juventus 0-1 Stuttgart
El Bilal Toure’s late goal secured a 1-0 victory for Stuttgart against Juventus in the Champions League, marking the Italian team’s first defeat of the season. Stuttgart, who had not won in their previous four matches, finally found success in the 92nd minute. The German side had earlier seen a goal disallowed and missed a penalty.
Thiago Motta’s unbeaten tenure with Juventus came to a halt with this defeat. Before Toure’s late heroics, it appeared that goalkeeper Mattia Perin had secured at least a point for Juventus, as he became only the third Juventus keeper to save a penalty in a Champions League match since the 2003-04 season.
PSG 1-1 PSV
Paris Saint-Germain’s shaky start to this season’s Champions League persisted as they settled for a 1-1 draw against PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday, prompting coach Luis Enrique to express his concerns about the team’s future prospects. The Dutch side took the lead with a goal from Noa Lang shortly after the half-hour mark at Parc des Princes.
Achraf Hakimi responded with an equalizer early in the second half, but despite numerous opportunities to secure a victory, PSG once again faltered in their finishing, a troubling pattern in their European campaign.
SK Sturm Graz 0-2 Sporting Lisbon
Sporting Lisbon achieved a solid 2-0 victory over Sturm Graz in the Champions League, with goals from Nuno Santos and Viktor Gyökeres. This win keeps Sporting unbeaten in the group stage, bringing their total points to seven from three matches. In contrast, Sturm Graz faced their third straight defeat and will look to rebound against Borussia Dortmund on November 5.
Girona 2-0 Sk Slovan Bratislava
Miguel Gutiérrez and Juanpe found the net to secure Girona’s historic 2-0 victory over Slovan Bratislava, marking the club’s first-ever win in the Champions League. Gutiérrez opened the scoring just before half-time with a first-time finish after a well-placed pull-back from Arnaut Danjuma, who had been a constant threat down the left flank.
After the break, Girona continued to dominate, with Dominik Takac making a crucial save to deny Bojan Miovski a second goal. The match’s outcome was sealed in the 73rd minute when Juanpe’s brilliantly executed free-kick deflected off a defender in the wall before finding the back of the net, confirming Girona’s place in the Champions League with an impressive performance.
Aston Villa 2-0 Bologna
Aston Villa maintained their perfect start in this season’s Champions League with a 2-0 home victory over Bologna on Tuesday. This win keeps Villa at the top of the 36-team league table, having achieved three wins, scored six goals, and not conceded any. The team’s impressive defensive record and effective attacking play have made them a formidable contender in the tournament.
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
