Champions League Shock as Real Madrid Falls to Lille; Aston Villa Triumphs Over Bayern Munich

AFP | London

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In a surprising turn of events, defending champions Real Madrid faced a stunning 1-0 defeat to Lille in the Champions League on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Aston Villa marked their return to Europe’s elite competition with a thrilling 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich, echoing the excitement of the 1982 European Cup final.

Liverpool continued their strong start under new manager Arne Slot, securing a 2-0 home win against Bologna. This victory marks their second consecutive win against Italian opposition this season.

Kylian Mbappe made his long-awaited return from injury for Madrid, coming on as a substitute. However, it was Jonathan David who stole the spotlight, converting a penalty that handed Carlo Ancelotti’s squad their first defeat in all competitions since January—a remarkable streak of 36 matches without a loss. Ancelotti acknowledged the disappointment, stating, “It hasn’t been a very good night for us; we shouldn’t look for excuses. We could have equalized at the end, but it wouldn’t have been deserved.”

David, fresh off a hat-trick in Ligue 1 over the weekend, scored from the spot just before halftime after Eduardo Camavinga handled a shot from Edon Zhegrova. Lille's goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier showcased his skills with a series of crucial late saves, ensuring a historic win against the 15-time European champions.

Aston Villa also enjoyed a memorable night, with Colombian forward Jhon Duran delivering a spectacular lob in the 79th minute to beat Manuel Neuer and secure the victory over Bayern. This win marks Villa's second in a row, coming in their first appearance in Europe’s top competition in 41 years. Harry Kane nearly equalized for Bayern, but Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez made a stunning save to deny the England captain.

Reflecting on the electric atmosphere at Villa Park, Martinez shared, “It’s unreal to be fair. This is the loudest Villa Park that I’ve heard since I joined the club. It was hurting my ears at some point. It’s a statement; there’s still a lot to play for. We want to qualify in the top eight, one step at a time.”

At Anfield, Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring early, tapping in a cross from Mohamed Salah. Bologna’s Dan Ndoye came close to leveling the match but struck the post, before Salah sealed the victory with a stunning curling effort in the final quarter-hour.