Pep Guardiola's Manchester City side pulled off a crucial 2-1 win over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu, leaving Los Blancos reeling after their recent struggles under new manager Xabi Alonso. The victory was all the more impressive given that Guardiola's team were expected to dominate possession and dictate play but instead found themselves being pushed hard by the Spanish side.
Rodrygo scored his signature goal against City, but it wasn't enough as Nico O'Reilly equalised for the visitors before a contentious penalty decision gave Manchester City the win. The turning point came when Erling Haaland slotted home from 12 yards out after Jude Bellingham's attempted distraction had no effect on the Norwegian striker.
Guardiola's side got away with a result that could have been even more emphatic, but instead, they were content to take all three points and bask in their well-deserved victory. The City manager was characteristically humble in victory, acknowledging that his team's performance wasn't up to par before the 90th minute.
Across town, Liverpool breathed a collective sigh of relief as Arne Slot's side came from behind to beat Inter Milan at San Siro. Despite the high-profile absences of Mohamed Salah and Alisson Becker, the Reds' bench proved to be a potent force in front of goal. Dominik Szoboszlai's penalty decision was met with widespread criticism, but Slot was quick to praise his players for their resilience.
The English side's victory served as a timely reminder that results are all that matter in the Champions League. Atalanta continued their fine form by beating Chelsea 2-1 at Stamford Bridge, courtesy of goals from Charles De Ketelaere and Gianluca Scamacca. The Italian club's resurgence under Raffaele Palladino has left fans and pundits alike taking notice.
In other news, Club Brugge fans took to the stands to express their discontent with the departure of Nicky Hayen as the side's coach. Despite Hayen's impressive league title win from last season, his sacking has raised questions about the club's direction under new management Ivan Leko. Meanwhile, Ruud Gullit jumped to Jude Bellingham's defense on beIN Sports, disputing Richard Keys' criticism of the young midfielder.
Looking ahead to next week's fixtures, Napoli face Copenhagen in a must-win encounter for the Italian side. Meanwhile, José Mourinho is set to face off against his old rival Antonio Conte when Benfica take on Juventus and then Real Madrid later in the campaign. Can Benfica deliver an upset over Los Blancos, or will Mourinho lead them back into the Champions League mix? Only time will tell.
Rodrygo scored his signature goal against City, but it wasn't enough as Nico O'Reilly equalised for the visitors before a contentious penalty decision gave Manchester City the win. The turning point came when Erling Haaland slotted home from 12 yards out after Jude Bellingham's attempted distraction had no effect on the Norwegian striker.
Guardiola's side got away with a result that could have been even more emphatic, but instead, they were content to take all three points and bask in their well-deserved victory. The City manager was characteristically humble in victory, acknowledging that his team's performance wasn't up to par before the 90th minute.
Across town, Liverpool breathed a collective sigh of relief as Arne Slot's side came from behind to beat Inter Milan at San Siro. Despite the high-profile absences of Mohamed Salah and Alisson Becker, the Reds' bench proved to be a potent force in front of goal. Dominik Szoboszlai's penalty decision was met with widespread criticism, but Slot was quick to praise his players for their resilience.
The English side's victory served as a timely reminder that results are all that matter in the Champions League. Atalanta continued their fine form by beating Chelsea 2-1 at Stamford Bridge, courtesy of goals from Charles De Ketelaere and Gianluca Scamacca. The Italian club's resurgence under Raffaele Palladino has left fans and pundits alike taking notice.
In other news, Club Brugge fans took to the stands to express their discontent with the departure of Nicky Hayen as the side's coach. Despite Hayen's impressive league title win from last season, his sacking has raised questions about the club's direction under new management Ivan Leko. Meanwhile, Ruud Gullit jumped to Jude Bellingham's defense on beIN Sports, disputing Richard Keys' criticism of the young midfielder.
Looking ahead to next week's fixtures, Napoli face Copenhagen in a must-win encounter for the Italian side. Meanwhile, José Mourinho is set to face off against his old rival Antonio Conte when Benfica take on Juventus and then Real Madrid later in the campaign. Can Benfica deliver an upset over Los Blancos, or will Mourinho lead them back into the Champions League mix? Only time will tell.