Madrid, Liverpool Seek More Wins
Two European champions face away matches Wednesday with perfect group stage records, while other heavyweights battle form issues.
By James Brooks ·
Real Madrid and Liverpool travel to Greece and Turkey respectively on Wednesday, seeking to extend their unbeaten starts in the Champions League. Both clubs enter the matchday holding perfect records in the competition's opening rounds.
Real Madrid visits AEK Athens in a matchup where the Spanish side looks to maintain momentum. Coach Jose Mourinho targets a third European title with his third different club, following previous victories with Porto and Inter Milan. However, the Portuguese manager emphasizes the need to secure qualification before discussing later stages. “It would be the third with three different clubs, and this one with the biggest club in the world,” Mourinho said. “The reality is that we still need points to qualify.”
Kylian Mbappé enters the fixture in strong form. The France forward has scored 15 goals in 14 appearances this season, with seven of those coming in his last five matches. He has also found the net in each of his last five Champions League appearances. Teammate Jude Bellingham approaches a historical milestone, sitting just short of becoming the youngest player to reach 60 Champions League appearances. At 23 years and 128 days old, Bellingham would surpass Iker Casillas, who reached that mark at 23 years and 167 days.
Liverpool faces a tougher challenge in Istanbul against Fenerbahce. The Merseyside squad aims to recover from a 1-0 Premier League defeat to Arsenal on Sunday at Anfield. Coach Andoni Iraola remains optimistic despite the loss. “It’s difficult when you lose. But, honestly, I’m happy with a lot of things from the other day,” Iraola said. “Still, we need to improve, especially attacking the box.”
Manchester City also plays away, visiting RB Leipzig. Coach Enzo Maresca called for an end to costly errors after his team lost to Aston Villa and Brighton in the domestic league. “Unfortunately it is happening for our players, but I think it is part of the game,” Maresca said. “We need to analyze and understand what we can do better and try to move on.”
Results from Tuesday's matches showed dominant performances for several top sides. Paris Saint-Germain set a competition record for the fastest four goals, leading 4-0 after 17 minutes against Villarreal before winning 6-0. Manchester United overcame a poor start to beat Roma 3-2 at home. Barcelona defeated Aston Villa 3-0, while Bayern Munich won 2-0 at Atletico Madrid.
Arsenal, the runner-up from last season, plays Slavia Prague on Wednesday. The results will determine the final standings in their respective groups as the competition moves into its next phase.
