UEFA Champions League Matchday 6 Highlights
Inter 0-1 Liverpool - San Siro Stadium
A much needed win for Arne Slot and Liverpool at the San Siro. A tight game from start to finish as the stats also made it seem like a very even game. Although there were multiple points in the game of note including a disallowed goal for Liverpool, rightfully ruled out for handball after VAR intervention. Another was a great free kick effort from Nicolo Barella which just missed the post but had Alisson scrambling in the Liverpool goal. Both teams continued to make great chances as Connor Bradley and Lautaro Martinez had good chances saved by their opposing keepers.
In the end, it was a penalty decision that led to the winning goal for Liverpool. At first glance there didn't appear to be much in the incident but VAR decided that referee Felix Zwayer needed to have another look at it. With replays showing a clear pull on the shirt of Florian Wirtz by Bastoni as he tried to get the ball, the referee gave the penalty for Liverpool. In the 88th minute, nearly 4 minutes after the initial incident Dominik Szoboszlai stepped up and thumped it into the top left corner to give Liverpool the 3 points in Milan.
Real Madrid 1-2 Manchester City - Estadio Santiago Bernabeu
The game of the matchday came from the Bernabeu between Real Madrid and Manchester City. An end to end battle with both teams trying their best to win the game, but all of the goals came in the first half. The Madrid players tried their best to get an equaliser in the second half with the best chances falling to Jude Bellingham and Endrick. Overall it was an entertaining match by both teams but it will have been a frustrating watch for Real Madrid, their fans and Xabi Alonso. On the other hand, a victory in the Spanish capital for Manchester City after a disappointing result at home to Leverkusen in the previous match puts them in 4th in the league table phase.
Real Madrid opened the scoring in the 28th minute from Rodrygo. The Brazilian held his run well on the right side as Belllingham played the ball into him. With the winger taking a couple of touches before an excellent finish into the bottom corner. The first goal for 32 matches for Rodrygo which put Real Madrid ahead.
An equaliser for Manchester City came just 7 minutes later from a corner. It was a good header from Gvardiol to win the header in the box. However, a blunder from Thibaut Courtois put the ball into the path of Nico O’Reilly who brushed it into the net with his right foot. A first Champions League goal for the left back and what a time and place to hit that milestone.
The winning goal was another goal from the penalty spot and yet more intervention from VAR in the Champions League. A cross was put into the box by goal scorer O’Reilly with Erling Haaland falling to the ground as he tried to get on the end of the cross. Nothing was given at the time but after a VAR review, the penalty was given for a foul by Rudiger on Haaland. The penalty was slotted away by Haaland who felt no pressure and watched Courtois in his run up before sending him the wrong way.
Benfica 2-0 Napoli - Estadio da Luz
A great night in Lisbon for Benfica and Jose Mourinho with a 2-0 victory over Antonio Conte and the Italian Champions. Benfica were the better team in the match with a well deserved 3 points but they could have scored more. It could have been 3-0 by the 20th minute after some missed opportunities but the breakthrough came by Richard Rios. A poor performance by Napoli as they seemed to start finding opportunities only after going 2-0 down. By that time it was too late and their efforts amounted to nothing, meaning they went back to Naples with nothing.
After a flurry of attacks from Benfica in the opening 18 minutes they scored in the 20th for their first goal of the match. A hopeful ball in the box by Samuel Dahl on the left side was poorly defended by Napoli and fell into the path of Colombian Richard Rios. He poked the ball past the Napoli goalkeeper and it had enough on it to go into the bottom corner.
The second goal for Benfica was made down their right side just after half time. Good play from Ivanovic on the wing to set Rios free into his path and some open space into the Napoli box. Rios put the ball into the front post to Leandro Barriero with a lovely flick with his back heel to put it past Milinkovic-Savic in the Napoli goal. The Napoli goalkeeper may have felt that he could have done more to stop the shot as it slipped under him but with the time he had to react, there didn’t seem to be much he could do. A smart finish from Barriero to double the Benfica lead and give them the 3 points they deserved and give them back to back wins for the first time in this season's competition.
