Real Madrid faced a surprising 1-0 defeat against Lille in the Champions League on Wednesday, marking their first loss in all competitions since January, ending a remarkable 36-match unbeaten streak. The match saw Kylian Mbappe return from injury as a substitute, but it was Jonathan David who stole the spotlight. He scored the decisive penalty just before halftime after Eduardo Camavinga handled the ball in the box. Lille’s goalkeeper, Lucas Chevalier, made several crucial saves in the dying minutes to secure the victory for the French club.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged the team’s shortcomings after the match, stating, “It hasn’t been a very good night for us; we shouldn’t look for excuses. We could have equalized at the end, but it wouldn’t have been deserved.”
In another match, Aston Villa celebrated a memorable night by defeating Bayern Munich 1-0, reminiscent of their victory in the 1982 European Cup final. Colombian forward Jhon Duran scored a brilliant goal in the 79th minute, lobbing the ball over Bayern’s Manuel Neuer, who was caught out of position. This win marked Villa’s second consecutive victory in their first appearance in Europe’s top competition in 41 years.
Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez made a crucial save from Harry Kane, denying the England captain a late equalizer. Martinez expressed his excitement after the match, saying, “It’s unreal… This is the loudest Villa Park that I’ve heard since I joined the club.”
Meanwhile, Liverpool continued their impressive form under new manager Arne Slot, securing a 2-0 victory against Bologna at Anfield. Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring early with a close-range finish from a Mohamed Salah cross. Bologna’s Dan Ndoye struck the post, but Salah sealed the win with a stunning curling shot in the final quarter of the match.
With this win, Slot became the first Liverpool manager to win eight of his first nine matches, surpassing legendary figures like Jurgen Klopp and Bill Shankly. “It’s hardly impossible to do something special at this club. It says a lot about how we started and how the players bought into it,” Slot remarked.
