Viktor Gyokeres scored a hat-trick as Ruben Amorim’s Sporting surprised Manchester Metropolis with a 4-1 win within the Champions League on Tuesday, whereas Liverpool trounced Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan beat holders Actual Madrid in Spain.
Sporting stole the present with their efficiency in Lisbon, however the Portuguese champions needed to come from behind after Phil Foden put Metropolis forward early on.
Amorim hoped to log off from the Champions League in type as Sporting coach earlier than he leaves for Manchester United, and Gyokeres then took centre stage.
The Swedish striker equalised seven minutes earlier than half-time, holding off Champions League debutant Jahmai Simpson-Pusey as he ran by way of to complete.
Sporting then went forward 19 seconds into the second half as Maximiliano Araujo completed off a high quality transfer, and shortly after that Gyokeres transformed a penalty following a foul by Josko Gvardiol.
Metropolis may have pulled one again, however Erling Haaland hit the bar from the spot. Gyokeres confirmed Haaland learn how to do it as he scored his second spot-kick to finish a hat-trick, condemning Metropolis to their heaviest shedding margin in Europe since a 3-0 loss to Liverpool in April 2018.
Gyokeres has 23 objectives in 17 video games in all competitions this season and can absolutely be the subsequent star to depart Sporting for a much bigger membership elsewhere following Amorim’s departure.
“It was written that it needed to be like that I believe, there isn’t a different rationalization,” Amorim, at Sporting since 2020, mentioned of a well-known victory.
“I believe everybody who has been right here within the final 4 years deserved this. It was a particular evening.”
– Diaz hat-trick –
Metropolis have seven factors on the midway stage within the new-look Champions League, whereas Sporting are second on 10 factors, behind solely Liverpool, who’re the only real staff with the utmost 12 factors.
Luis Diaz scored a hat-trick because the Anfield membership secured an announcement 4-0 win over Leverkusen on the evening Alonso returned to Merseyside, with all of the objectives coming within the second half.
Diaz put Liverpool forward simply after the hour mark and Cody Gakpo headed in shortly after. Diaz scored once more to make it 3-0 after which acquired his third and his staff’s fourth in stoppage time, leaving the German champions on seven factors after 4 outings.
“I believe it is a good outcome in opposition to an excellent staff,” Gakpo advised Amazon Prime.
“They performed an excellent recreation, however we saved going, making an attempt, creating possibilities, defending properly.”
– Actual droop once more –
Madrid suffered their second loss in 4 video games within the competitors this season as they went down 3-1 at dwelling to Milan.
The Italians, whose tally of seven European Cups is bettered solely by Actual’s 15, went forward early on by way of Malick Thiaw, however the hosts quickly drew stage by way of a Vinicius Junior penalty.
Nevertheless, Alvaro Morata put Milan again forward earlier than the interval in opposition to his outdated membership, following in to complete after a Rafael Leao shot was parried.
Milan acquired their third on 73 minutes after nice play by Leao arrange Tijjani Reijnders to attain, and Antonio Ruediger had a late effort disallowed for Actual.
“After we are 11 lions on the pitch, it is extremely troublesome for a staff to beat us,” Morata mentioned at full-time.
Monaco are third within the standings with 10 factors following a 1-0 victory at Bologna, secured due to captain Thilo Kehrer’s late objective.
Dortmund are fourth on 9 factors after Donyell Malen’s Eighty fifth-minute objective gave them a 1-0 win at dwelling to Sturm Graz.
Dusan Vlahovic’s penalty allowed Juventus to come back from behind and draw 1-1 at Lille, after Canada’s Jonathan David had given the French aspect the lead.
– Celtic impress –
Celtic have seven factors after a high quality fightback secured a 3-1 win for the Scottish champions in opposition to RB Leipzig in Glasgow.
Christoph Baumgartner fired Leipzig in entrance however an excellent Nicolas Kuehn strike introduced Celtic stage and he then put them forward in first-half stoppage time. Reo Hatate acquired their third.
PSV Eindhoven crushed Girona 4-0, with Ryan Flamingo and Malik Tillman netting within the first half. Arnau Martinez was despatched off for Girona earlier than Johan Bakayoko made it 3-0 and Ladislav Krejci scored an personal objective.
Dinamo Zagreb got here again to win 4-1 at Slovan Bratislava with Sandro Kulenovic scoring twice for the Croatians.
Slovan, Sturm Graz and Leipzig have misplaced 4 out of 4.
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