Wednesday’s Champions League games delivered strong emotions and surprising results, starting with a “Turkish madness” in Istanbul. Fenerbahçe managed to beat Liverpool in a match full of twists, while Real Madrid staged a dramatic comeback in the final minutes against AEK in Athens. The absolute protagonist in the Turks’ win was former Lazio striker Vedat Muriqi, who scored the decisive goal.
The match in Istanbul was played under heavy rain, which affected the pace of the game. Liverpool took the lead in the 25th minute through Nyoni, who took advantage of a ball returned by the defence and struck the goal, with a deflection that sent goalkeeper Ederson out of play. However, Fenerbahçe responded quickly. Kahveci hit the crossbar, but Greenwood equalised in the 29th minute with a penalty kick, also benefiting from a deflection. After Isak restored the lead for the “Reds” in the 69th minute, the Turks did not give up. Brown equalised again in the 73rd minute, taking advantage of a header from a defender that took Alisson out of play. The climax came in the 79th minute, when Vedat Muriqi, with a simple header after a high ball into the box, sent the ball past the goalkeeper’s back, giving Fenerbahçe a 3-2 victory.
Another wild match took place in Athens, where Real Madrid faced AEK. The Greeks started better and were more aggressive, with Gacinovic testing Courtois as early as the fifth minute. In the 12th minute, Koita scored AEK’s first goal after a quick counterattack, dribbling past and striking firmly with his left foot into the near post. Courtois made several decisive saves, denying Jovic the chance to double the lead. Real Madrid woke up, and Bellingham took control of the game, equalising with a spectacular goal with a chip from the centre of the box in the 32nd minute, after an earlier goal had been disallowed. In the second half, the Spaniards pressed, but AEK held firm and struck again at the right moment, with Pilios scoring in the 75th minute to restore the unexpected lead.
To rescue the match, Real Madrid received a lifeline from the ever-present Mbappé, who scored a simple goal from close range after an excellent assist from Dumfries in the 78th minute. The Frenchman also had a chance to turn the result around at the end, but his right-footed shot hit the crossbar. The big goal, however, came in extra time: Fede Valverde scored the winning goal with a powerful strike from distance, sending the ball into the top corner and securing three points for “Los Blancos”, sealing an evening full of twists in the Champions League.
Source: La Gazzetta dello Sport