Real Madrid took a big breath of fresh air on Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League thanks to a hard-fought victory on Atalanta's ground (2-3). Carlo Ancelotti's team came from two consecutive defeats but managed to survive in Bergamo thanks to the goals from their stars (Mbappé, Vinicius, and Bellingham). With this win, the 'merengues' accumulate 9 points and remain in the 'playoff' zone (18).
On the contrary, in Montilivi, Girona practically sealed their elimination with a new defeat, the fifth of the tournament, this time at home against Liverpool (0-1). Míchel's team fought hard for the loss, but a penalty scored by Mohamed Salah in the 63' left them empty-handed. The 'reds' maintain their perfect pace and ensure they finish the year as leaders, while the Catalans remain at the bottom of the table (30) with only 3 points.
Bayern Munich and Aston Villa Return to the Top of the Table
Another team that took a firm step towards the knockout stage was Bayern Munich. The Bavarians started losing in their visit to Shakhtar Donetsk but ended up winning decisively (1-5). Konrad Laimer, Thomas Müller, Michael Olise (double), and Jamal Musiala scored for Vincent Kompany's side, who currently sit in 8th place with 12 points, the same as FC Barcelona's opponent this Wednesday, Borussia Dortmund.
Currently in third place is Aston Villa, who struggled to defeat RB Leipzig (2-3) on Tuesday. Unai Emery's team opened the scoring early through John McGinn, but the hosts equalized before halftime. John Durán put Birmingham ahead again in the 52', ten minutes before Marco Rose's team equalized once more. Finally, in the 82', Ross Barkley sealed Leipzig's sixth consecutive defeat, who sit at the bottom alongside Slovan Bratislava and Young Boys.
Breath of Fresh Air for PSG, Tough Setback for Inter
Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain also took a breath of fresh air with a comfortable victory on RB Salzburg's ground (0-3). Luis Enrique's team resolved the match thanks to goals from Gonçalo Ramos, Nuno Mendes, and Désiré Doué, accumulating 3 points that temporarily elevate them to 24th place, the last position that grants access to the 'playoff' for a spot in the knockout stage.
The other team that secured a crucial victory was Bayer Leverkusen. The reigning German champions narrowly defeated Inter Milan (1-0) with a goal from Nordi Mukiele in the 90'. This result leaves Xabi Alonso's team with the same points as the 'nerazzurri' (13), but the Germans are second due to a better goal difference.
The other matches of the day included a goalless draw between Dinamo Zagreb (23) and Celtic Glasgow (19), as well as a home victory for Brest against PSV Eindhoven (1-0), which keeps the French in the direct qualification zone (fifth), while the Dutch currently sit in 21st place.
Finally, in Belgium, Bruges surprised by defeating Sporting CP (2-1). The Portuguese have now suffered two consecutive defeats after thrashing Manchester City and dropped to 12th place, while the Belgians climbed to fourteenth place.
All Results from Tuesday's Matchday
- Dinamo Zagreb 0-0 Celtic Glasgow
- Girona 0-1 Liverpool
- Stade Brest 1-0 PSV Eindhoven
- Shakhtar Donetsk 1-5 Bayern Munich
- Bruges 2-1 Sporting CP
- Salzburg 0-3 PSG
- RB Leipzig 2-3 Aston Villa
- Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Inter Milan
- Atalanta 2-3 Real Madrid