Liverpool has surged to the top of the Champions League standings, delivering a stunning 2-0 defeat to defending champions Real Madrid, who now find themselves in an alarming 24th place among 36 teams. The match at Anfield was particularly tough for Kylian Mbappé, the French superstar who was signed by Madrid in the offseason. He had a penalty shot saved and was also on the receiving end of a brilliant tackle by Liverpool’s Conor Bradley, which quickly became a viral highlight. With a perfect start to the new Champions League format, Liverpool has achieved five consecutive victories under first-year coach Arne Slot, maintaining a two-point lead over Inter Milan and a three-point advantage over Barcelona. Meanwhile, Real Madrid is in a precarious position, just one spot above elimination with three rounds remaining in the group stage. The top eight teams will advance directly to the round of 16 in March, while those ranked 9th to 24th must compete in two-leg playoffs in February. Madrid’s coach Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged the challenge ahead, stating that even a win would not have guaranteed a top-eight finish. Other notable results included Borussia Dortmund climbing to fourth place after a 3-0 victory over Dinamo Zagreb, and PSV Eindhoven pulling off an incredible comeback from two goals down to win 3-2 against Shakhtar Donetsk, thanks to a last-minute goal from US forward Ricardo Pepi. In other matches, Red Star Belgrade and Sturm Graz ended their losing streaks, with Red Star rallying to defeat Stuttgart and Sturm Graz edging Girona. The Champions League continues to showcase thrilling football, with Liverpool looking poised to advance with confidence.
