Champions League Roundup: Madrid Edge Juventus, Chelsea Crush Ajax in 5–1 Masterclass

Credit: Freepik

Real Madrid preserved their flawless Champions League run with a tense 1-0 defeat of Juventus, thanks to Jude Bellingham's opportunistic strike, while Chelsea's teenage talents lit up Stamford Bridge in a 5-1 thrashing of Ajax on Wednesday.

The night delivered high drama across the continent, with Bayern Munich and Liverpool piling on the goals and a pair of goalless draws rounding out the slate.

The Santiago Bernabéu showdown pitted two unbeaten sides against each other, but Juventus' resilient backline—bolstered by early chances from Weston McKennie and Federico Gatti—held firm until the second half. The deadlock broke in the 57th minute when Vinícius Júnior's curling effort clattered off the post, and Bellingham reacted first to bundle home the rebound for his first goal of the season.

Madrid's Thibaut Courtois starred with a crucial denial of Dušan Vlahović, while Juventus keeper Michele Di Gregorio pulled off a stunning double save late on to keep the scoreline respectable. The result leaves Real Madrid with nine points from three matches, one of five teams still perfect in the league phase.

Across the Channel, Chelsea capitalized on Ajax's early lapse to unleash a torrent of goals. Kenneth Taylor's 15th-minute red card for a foul on Facundo Buonanotte shifted the momentum, with Marc Guiu—Chelsea's youngest-ever Champions League scorer at 19—nodding in the opener from Wesley Fofana's free-kick delivery moments later. Moisés Caicedo doubled the lead with a composed finish, though Wout Weghorst pulled one back from the spot for Ajax. Enzo Fernández and Willian Estêvão converted penalties before halftime to make it 4-1, and substitute Tyrique George sealed the rout with a tidy finish. The performance underscored Chelsea's blend of youth and experience, earning them a share of the early lead in the standings.

Bayern Munich cruised to a 4-0 home win over Club Brugge, sparked by 17-year-old Lennart Karl's debut stunner—a curling shot into the top corner that made him the club's youngest-ever UCL scorer. Harry Kane tapped in the second at the far post, Luis Díaz rifled home a third, and Nicolas Jackson rounded it off with a deflected effort. The Bavarians' dominance extended their unbeaten streak, now sitting pretty atop the table.

Liverpool shook off recent domestic wobbles with a clinical 5-1 away victory at Eintracht Frankfurt. The hosts struck first through Rasmus Kristensen's flowing team move, but Hugo Ekitiké equalized against his old club. A blistering three-goal burst followed: Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté headed in from corners within 10 minutes. Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai added to the tally after the break, with Florian Wirtz assisting both in a second-half masterclass that propelled the Reds into contention.

Not every fixture sparked fireworks. Monaco and Tottenham Hotspur settled for a cautious 0-0 in France, where Spurs keeper Guglielmo Vicario's acrobatic saves on Folarin Balogun and Jordan Teze preserved the point, despite Monaco's edge in chances. In Bergamo, Atalanta pressed hard but couldn't breach Slavia Prague's defense in a gritty 0-0 stalemate—Jakub Markovič's heroics denying Odilon Kossounou, Nikola Krstović, and Gianluca Scamacca, while Lukáš Provod tested the woodwork for the visitors.

With 67 goals across the matchday— a record for the new league phase—the competition shows no signs of slowing. Bayern, Madrid, Chelsea, and Liverpool join Sporting CP in the winner's circle, but the single-table format means every result reshapes the race. Next up: Fixture four on October 29.

0 Comment(s)


Leave a Comment

Related Articles