3 Talking Points From Tuesday Night’s Champions League Action

The Champions League returned in spectacular fashion last night, delivering shocking upsets and unforgettable individual performances that matched the pre-game buzz. With Tuesday night’s UCL thrills now in the books, let’s dive into the three biggest takeaways from an action-packed evening in Europe.

1) Reigning Champions Humbled at the Bernabeu Once Again 

It’s been a rough few days for Real Madrid fans. After being humiliated by Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu, many thought that Carlo Ancelotti’s men would be motivated to get back to winning ways. However, Los Blancos’ performance against AC Milan last night left a lot to be desired. The reigning European champions looked like a shadow of their former selves. Malick Thiaw opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a thunderous header. Vinicius Junior – who was recently snubbed for the Ballon d’Or – restored parity from the spot a mere 11 minutes later. However, goals from Alvaro Morata and Tijani Reijnders handed the Rossoneri a famous 3-1 win over Real. 

This loss leaves Real Madrid with just six points from their first four Champions League outings—a precarious start for the reigning champions. But more alarming than the defeat itself is their leaky defense. In their last two games at the Bernabeu, Los Blancos have shipped seven goals (four against Barcelona and three to AC Milan). With challenging away trips to Liverpool, Brest, and Atalanta, plus a crucial home clash against RB Salzburg still on the schedule, Real’s path to a guaranteed Round of 16 spot is anything but secure. Carlo Ancelotti and his squad now find themselves in a real bind. So, can the reigning champions recover from last night’s disaster-class? 

2) A Glimpse of What’s to Come in Manchester? 

Last night was a momentous occasion for Sporting CP and its fans. After four incredible years at José Alvalade, Ruben Amorim made the decision to embark on a new chapter with Manchester United. To mark this occasion, Sporting welcomed Manchester City in a crunch UCL tie. Many thought that the game would be tightly contested. However, what followed was a mauling, not by City, but by Ruben Amorim’s highly motivated Sporting CP side. Sporting took the Cityzens to the cleaners, as the ran away with a famous 4-1 win over the reigning English champions.  

City landed the first blow, with Phil Foden finding the net just four minutes in. However, that was where City’s celebration stopped. Driven by pure motivation, Sporting stormed back with a hat trick from Viktor Gyokeres and a strike from Maximiliano Araujo. Many Manchester United fans would’ve kept a keen eye on this match-up. And judging by the one-sided nature of the clash, United fans cannot wait for the Ruben Amorim-era to begin. Could he be the one to finally steer the Red Devils back to Europe’s elite? It may be early days, but the signs are undeniably promising. If this is any indication of what’s to come, United fans have every reason to look forward to an exciting new chapter. 

3) The Arne Slot's Freight Train Rolls On 

People are starting to run out of adjectives to describe Arne Slot’s start to life at Liverpool. The Dutch head coach has now won 12 of his first 14 games as Liverpool’s manager. Not even the likes of Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley and Jurgen Klopp had such a successful start as the Reds’ boss. Moreover, with another comprehensive win over Bayer Leverkusen, Slot become just the second manager (after Jurgen Klopp did it during the 2021/22 season) in Liverpool’s illustrious history to win the opening four games of a UCL campaign.  

Up against a Bayer Leverkusen squad with only two losses since last season, many thought Arne Slot’s remarkable run with Liverpool would finally hit a roadblock. But with the roar of a fired-up Anfield crowd behind them, the Reds tore through Xabi Alonso’s side. Second-half strike from Cody Gakpo and a dazzling hat-trick from Luis Diaz powered Liverpool to a memorable 4-0 victory that will stick with fans for a long time. Liverpool were unstoppable, outclassing a Leverkusen team that hadn’t lost in 11 games. People keep expecting them to falter, yet they keep proving the doubters wrong. They now stand proudly at the top of both the Premier League and Champions League tables.