Soccer

Champions League wrap: Kelleher makes important saves as Liverpool keep 100% record

Barcelona smash Bayern Munich 4-1; Manchester City comfortable winners over Sparta Prague

Goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher of Liverpool in action during the Champions League match against Leipzig. Photograph: Clemens Bilan/EPA
Goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher of Liverpool in action during the Champions League match against Leipzig. Photograph: Clemens Bilan/EPA
Wed Oct 23 2024 - 22:21
Champions League: RB Leipzig 0 Liverpool 1 (Nunez 27)

Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez took full advantage of a rare start with the winner in his side’s 1-0 victory at RB Leipzig as their 100 per cent start in the Champions League continued on Wednesday.

With Diogo Jota ruled out because of injury, Uruguayan Nunez got his chance and delivered in the 27th minute by poking home Mohamed Salah’s header.

Nunez, who has been used predominantly as a substitute this season, also had a clear penalty turned down as he gave manager Arne Slot plenty to think about.

Liverpool’s sixth away win out of six in all competitions this season maintain an excellent start to the Slot reign with the Dutchman winning a club record 11 of his first games since replacing Anfield favourite Juergen Klopp.

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Liverpool are second in the 36-team Champions League group phase with nine points, sandwiched between Premier League rivals Aston Villa who also have nine and Manchester City (seven).

Leipzig twice had goals disallowed and Liverpool and Ireland keeper Caoimhin Kelleher made two important saves as the Bundesliga club’s wait for a first point goes on.

Leipzig looked fired up from the start and were the better side with Lois Openda having a superb effort ruled out for offside moments before Liverpool went ahead.

Salah rose to meet a cross and his header wrong-footed keeper Peter Gulacsi, appearing to be going inside the post before Nunez made absolutely sure with the final touch.

The goal sparked Liverpool into life and Nunez could not believe he was not awarded a penalty when he was clipped in the area by Willi Orban.

Alexis Mac Allister struck the crossbar with a dipping shot for Liverpool after the break but Slot’s side were unable to extend their advantage and almost paid the price.

Kelleher made great saves to deny Benjamin Sesko after a mistake by Ibrahima Konate before tipping away a deflected effort by Xavi Simons who later hobbled off.

Barcelona 4 Bayern Munich 1 (Raphinha 1, 46, 56, Lewandowski 36; Kane 18)

Barcelona captain Raphinha scored a hat-trick to lead them to a commanding 4-1 home victory over Bayern Munich, ending a near decade-long winless run against the German powerhouses.

Raphinha’s inspired night started when he gave Barca the lead a little over a minute after kickoff as he received a fine pass through by midfielder Fermin Lopez, beat the offside trap before rounding the onrushing Manuel Neuer and tapping into the empty net.

Harry Kane levelled the score with a volley in the 18th minute but Robert Lewandowski put the home side back in front in the 36th minute after a mistake by Bayern’s defence and Raphinha extended Barca’s lead with two goals from quick counter-attacks either side of halftime.

Barca are ninth in the Champions League standings on six points from three games while Bayern are 23rd on three points after a second consecutive defeat.

Raphinha of FC Barcelona celebrates scoring his team's fourth goal and his hat-trick goal. Photograph: Pedro Salado/Getty
Raphinha of FC Barcelona celebrates scoring his team's fourth goal and his hat-trick goal. Photograph: Pedro Salado/Getty

Manchester City 5 Sparta Prague 0 (Foden 3, Haaland 58, 68, Stones 64, Nunes 88)

Erling Haaland maintained his phenomenal Champions League scoring rate with two more as Manchester City eased to a 5-0 win over Sparta Prague.

Phil Foden, John Stones and Matheus Nunes also struck as City broke a Manchester United record for the most consecutive games unbeaten in the competition in a one-sided contest at the Etihad Stadium.

Haaland’s double took his goal tally to a remarkable 44 in 42 Champions League outings, his first being a gravity-defying backheel volley after Foden had opened the scoring.

He then claimed his 13th of the season with a smart finish after Stones had headed his third of the campaign, while a late Nunes penalty wrapped up the game.

Three of City’s goals came in a blistering nine-minute spell in the second half as Pep Guardiola’s side extended their unbeaten run in Europe’s elite competition to a record 26 games.

Other results:

Lille stunned hosts Atletico Madrid with a 3-1 comeback win and two goals from Canadian Jonathan David in the Champions League to make it two wins from their last two matches while piling more pressure on the struggling Spanish side.

Brest and Bayer Leverkusen played out a 1-1 draw in the Champions League which ended both teams’ two-game winning starts to the competition.

Teenager Antoni Milambo netted twice as Dutch side Feyenoord sprang a Champions League surprise with a 3-1 away victory at Portuguese giants Benfica.

Substitute Marcus Thuram scored in stoppage time to give Inter Milan a 1-0 win at Swiss champions Young Boys in the Champions League on Wednesday after the Italian side had missed a penalty early in the second half.

Atalanta spurned several chances as they were held to a 0-0 draw at home by a defensively resilient Celtic in the Champions League on Wednesday.