Real Madrid Beaten in Champions League as Villa Shock Bayern

Jonathan David (C) scored a penalty as Lille recorded a famous win over Real Madrid (FRANCK FIFE) (FRANCK FIFE/AFP/AFP)
Jonathan David (C) scored a penalty as Lille recorded a famous win over Real Madrid (FRANCK FIFE) (FRANCK FIFE/AFP/AFP)
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Real Madrid Beaten in Champions League as Villa Shock Bayern

Jonathan David (C) scored a penalty as Lille recorded a famous win over Real Madrid (FRANCK FIFE) (FRANCK FIFE/AFP/AFP)
Jonathan David (C) scored a penalty as Lille recorded a famous win over Real Madrid (FRANCK FIFE) (FRANCK FIFE/AFP/AFP)

Holders Real Madrid suffered a shock 1-0 loss to Lille in the Champions League on Wednesday, while Aston Villa defeated Bayern Munich 1-0 in a repeat of the 1982 European Cup final.

Liverpool continued their flying start under new boss Arne Slot with a 2-0 victory at home to Bologna to secure a second successive win over Italian opposition this season.

Kylian Mbappe made his return from injury for Madrid in France as a substitute but he was upstaged by Jonathan David, whose penalty condemned Carlo Ancelotti's side to a first loss in all competitions since January -- a run spanning 36 matches.

"It hasn't been a very good night for us, we shouldn't look for excuses," said Ancelotti.

"We could have equalised at the end but it wouldn't have been deserved."

Canada international David, scorer of a hat-trick in Ligue 1 at the weekend, buried his spot-kick at the end of the first half after Eduardo Camavinga used his arm to block a strike from Edon Zhegrova.

According to AFP, Lille goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier produced a string of late saves as the French club clung on for a famous win over the record 15-time European champions.

Villa also enjoyed a night to remember as a brilliant goal from in-form Colombian forward Jhon Duran lifted the hosts past Bayern.

Duran's majestic lob in the 79th minute caught Manuel Neuer well out of position and earned Villa their second win in a row in the club's first appearance in Europe's top competition in 41 years.

Harry Kane almost snatched a last-gasp equaliser but Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez pulled off a superb stop to deny the England captain.

"It's unreal to be fair. This is the loudest Villa Park that I've heard since I joined the club, that's for sure, it was hurting my ears at some point," Martinez told TNT Sports.

"It's a statement, there's still a lot to play. We want to qualify in the first eight, in the top eight, it's one step at a time."

At Anfield, Alexis Mac Allister prodded in from close range after meeting Mohamed Salah's cross to give Liverpool an early lead.

Dan Ndoye hit the post for Champions League debutants Bologna, but Salah made the game safe with a terrific curling effort in the final quarter of an hour.

Slot is the first Liverpool manager to win eight of his opening nine matches, surpassing even the likes of Jurgen Klopp, Kenny Dalglish, Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley.

"It's hardly impossible to do something special at this club. It says a lot about how we started how players bought into it, the effort put in," said Slot.

- Juventus resilient as Atletico flop -

Juventus won 3-2 in a thrilling encounter against RB Leipzig in Germany despite having goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio sent off for handling outside his area.

Leipzig led twice through goals from Benjamin Sesko but Juventus replied both times through Dusan Vlahovic, his magnificent second coming just after Di Gregorio saw red on the hour.

Francisco Conceicao's fine solo effort late on won it for Juventus, who are one of seven teams with maximum points in the new 36-team league phase.

Atletico Madrid fell to a humiliating 4-0 loss at Benfica.

The Portuguese team went ahead through Kerem Aturkoglu, with Angel Di Maria extending the lead from the penalty spot.

Alexander Bah headed home the third and Orkun Kokcu completed the rout with another penalty.

Monaco rallied from two goals down on a sodden pitch to salvage a 2-2 draw away to Dinamo Zagreb.

Goals from Petar Sucic and Martin Baturina had Dinamo on course for victory, but Mohammed Salisu halved the deficit for Monaco before Dennis Zakaria equalized from the spot in the final minute.

Champions League newcomers Girona slid to a second straight defeat after scoring two own goals in a 3-2 home loss to Feyenoord.

David Lopez put Girona ahead before Yangel Herrera turned into his own net and Antoni Milambo then gave Feyenoord the lead.

Donny van de Beek equalised in the second half but Ladislav Krejci's own goal sank Girona as both sides also missed a penalty.

Atalanta strolled to a 3-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in Gelsenkirchen with goals from Berat Djimsiti, Ademola Lookman and Raoul Bellanova.

Club Brugge picked up their first points courtesy of Christos Tzolis' goal in a 1-0 win at Sturm Graz.



Man United Has Been Revamped by Ratcliffe but it's the Same Old Story for Ten Hag

Manchester United Manager Erik ten Hag - The AP
Manchester United Manager Erik ten Hag - The AP
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Man United Has Been Revamped by Ratcliffe but it's the Same Old Story for Ten Hag

Manchester United Manager Erik ten Hag - The AP
Manchester United Manager Erik ten Hag - The AP

It feels like Groundhog Day for Manchester United and Erik ten Hag. Another season has hit crisis point after only a few games.

Perhaps that's why the United manager was so dismissive of the renewed pressure on him after last week's humbling 3-0 loss to Tottenham.

“Nothing is easy, but this is nothing for me to panic about because I experienced it so often with my teams during seasons that you are facing those problems,” he said this week. He is right.

United's record of three losses after six English Premier League games is in keeping with his two previous campaigns at Old Trafford, The AP reported.

In 2022, he lost his opening two and three of the first seven.

In 2023 it was even worse, as United lost three of five at the start.

Both of those seasons ended with a trophy, but the feel-good factor provided by the most recent silverware — May's FA Cup triumph against Manchester City - has long evaporated in the face of the likelihood that United's 11-year wait for the league title is set to go on.

There is little sign of progress in the league despite spending around $750 million on transfers.

On Sunday, United travels to Aston Villa, which has been transformed by manager Unai Emery, who has worked on a fraction of that budget. The Spaniard has spent around $270 million to turn Villa from a team that was battling relegation when he took over in October 2022 to one that beat beat Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Another defeat for United would intensify questions about Ten Hag's position ahead of the October international break, which has traditionally been a time when clubs look to make managerial changes.

Emery's success at Villa is evidence of what can be achieved in a short period of time. Villa was three points above the relegation zone when he was hired. In his first full season, he led the Midlands club to fourth, eight points ahead of United and qualified for the Champions League.

He is yet to deliver silverware, but the trajectory is clearly upward.

United is 13th heading into the weekend, having finished last season in eighth and the previous year third.

Ten Hag kept his job only after an extensive review by United's new hierarchy put in place by minority owner Jim Ratcliffe. But even if he was given a vote of confidence and a one-year extension to his contract, he remains a legacy of a failing operation that Ratcliffe is trying to overhaul since buying a 27.7% stake in the club in February.

What's more, the decision to keep Ten Hag was made before new CEO Omar Berrada and sporting director Dan Ashworth officially took up their positions in the offseason.

Both insisted in September the Dutchman had their full backing, but managers are ultimately judged by results on the field and the sight of United fans leaving early and some booing at the end of the Tottenham game highlighted growing dissatisfaction again around the club.

Ten Hag has a new coaching staff, including former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, but familiar problems abound.

United has previously sacked managers David Moyes, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in mid-season, but never one before November in the modern era.

That might provide Ten Hag with some comfort as he tries, once again, to turn United's season around.