Liverpool delivered a crucial Champions League victory with a 1-0 win over Inter Milan, proving they could rise to the challenge even without Mohamed Salah. The decisive moment arrived when Dominik Szoboszlai stepped up in the 88th minute to convert a pressure-filled penalty, securing a much-needed win for a team that has struggled recently with only one victory in six matches. The result lifted Liverpool to eighth place in the league phase standings and revived hopes of a direct qualification spot for the round of 16, while Inter slid to fifth.
The Reds appeared to have struck early when Ibrahima Konaté headed the ball into the net in the first half, but the goal was overturned after a lengthy VAR review determined that the ball had brushed Hugo Ekitike’s arm following a touch from Virgil van Dijk. VAR later intervened in Liverpool’s favour, spotting a shirt pull on Florian Wirtz in the box, which set up Szoboszlai’s winning penalty.
Bayern Munich continued their upward momentum with a 3-1 comeback triumph over Sporting Lisbon. Seventeen-year-old sensation Lennart Karl delivered a stunning volley to mark his third Champions League goal in just four matches, reinforcing his status as one of Germany’s brightest young stars. After Joshua Kimmich’s own goal gifted Sporting the lead, Bayern responded with three goals in 12 minutes courtesy of Serge Gnabry, Karl, and Jonathan Tah. The match also marked Alphonso Davies’ return from a long-term knee injury.
Chelsea suffered a setback with a 2-1 defeat to Atalanta. Despite taking the lead through Joao Pedro, Chelsea conceded twice in the second half as Charles De Ketelaere assisted the equalizer for Gianluca Scamacca before scoring the winner himself. The loss pushed Chelsea out of the top eight and into 11th place.
Barcelona staged their own comeback with a 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt after two quick headers from Jules Koundé. Assists from Marcus Rashford and Lamine Yamal helped Barca overturn an early deficit created by Ansgar Knauff’s breakaway goal. Yamal’s contribution moved him past Kylian Mbappé for the highest combined goals and assists in the Champions League by a player under 19.
Tottenham celebrated a 3-0 victory over Slavia Prague with Son Heung-min watching from the stands as fans bid him a belated farewell. Meanwhile, Atlético Madrid battled to a 3-2 win over PSV Eindhoven thanks to Julián Álvarez’s ninth goal in nine Champions League appearances. Marseille edged Union Saint-Gilloise 3-2 after two disallowed equalizers for the Belgian team, Monaco defeated Galatasaray 1-0 with a close-range finish from Folarin Balogun, and Olympiakos secured a 1-0 win over Kairat Almaty with Gelson Martins’ decisive strike.