Liverpool survived an Atletico Madrid fightback to win 3-2, while Lionel Messi scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) came from behind to beat RB Leipzig by the same score on a breathless night of UEFA Champions League action on Tuesday.
In other games, Karim Benzema netted for Real Madrid as the 13-time European champions thrashed Shakhtar Donetsk 5-0 in Ukraine on the eve of the start of his trial in France on charges of complicity in blackmail.
Much of the night’s drama happened at the Wanda Metropolitano in the Spanish capital where Mohamed Salah scored another impressive goal, twisting away from a string of Atletico Madrid defenders before his shot deflected in off James Milner to open the scoring.
Photo: Reuters
Naby Keita doubled Liverpool’s lead with a stunning volley, but Atletico Madrid hit back with France international Antoine Griezmann scoring twice to fire up the home crowd.
Just as Atletico Madrid seemed to have the upper hand, Griezmann was given a straight red card for a high boot in the face of Roberto Firmino.
A pulsating game was decided from the penalty spot in the 78th minute as Salah sent Jan Oblak the wrong way after Mario Hermoso pushed Diogo Jota. The Egyptian’s 31st Champions League goal makes him the club’s top scorer in the competition, overtaking Steven Gerrard.
In a dramatic finish, Atletico Madrid were denied a penalty when the referee referred to the video assistant referee and decided Jota had not fouled Jose Maria Gimenez.
“We played a really solid second half in a tough game with intense football from both teams,” Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp told BT Sport. “We got the penalty, then there was a red card and obviously it was in our favor.”
The Reds are top of Group B with three wins out of three, while Atletico Madrid are equal on four points with Porto, who beat AC Milan 1-0 in Portugal.
At the Parc des Princes, Messi scored twice and Kylian Mbappe sparkled, but later missed a penalty as PSG came from behind to beat RB Leipzig 3-2.
Mbappe had given the Qatar-backed club the lead, but a Leipzig side crushed 6-3 at Manchester City earlier in the competition held their own.
Leipzig went ahead through goals from Andre Silva and Nordi Mukiele as PSG suddenly looked disjointed, but Messi was set up by Mbappe for the equalizer and then deftly chipped in a 74th-minute penalty awarded for a foul on the France striker. Mbappe’s missed spot-kick proved unimportant.
PSG top Group A with seven points, but Manchester City bounced back from their defeat in Paris in the last match day by crushing Club Brugge KV 5-1 in Belgium.
Pep Guardiola declared City’s win “one of the best performances in Europe we’ve done so far” after Riyad Mahrez scored twice and 19-year-old Cole Palmer was among City’s scorers.
In Kiev, Benzema, who was due to go on trial in France yesterday in the “sex video” case involving his former international teammate Mathieu Valbuena, scored the final goal in Real Madrid’s rout of Shakhtar.
A first-half own-goal from Serhiy Kryvtsov put Real Madrid on their way before Vinicius Jr scored two superb goals and set up Rodrygo for the fourth before Benzema completed the job.
Sheriff Tiraspol’s fairy-tale run of results in the competition ended with a 3-1 defeat at Inter.
Goals from Edin Dzeko, Arturo Vidal and Stefan de Vrij sealed the win over the side from Moldova, but Sheriff remain top of Group D, despite having the same number of points as Real Madrid.
Borussia Dortmund and Erling Haaland had an off night as they were beaten 4-0 by Ajax at the Amsterdam Arena.
Sebastien Haller scored his sixth Champions League goal in three games as Ajax took an iron grip on Group C with a maximum nine points. Dortmund are second on six points.
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