Champions League 2024-25 Matchday 5 Round-Up: Liverpool Defeat Real Madrid, Dortmund Shine, PSV and Benfica Stage Thrilling Comebacks

Liverpool have become the first club to secure a spot in the Round of 16 or knockout play-offs, following a 2-0 victory over Real Madrid at Anfield. This triumph marks their fifth consecutive win in the league phase.

Borussia Dortmund now boast four wins after a dominant 3-0 success against GNK Dinamo, while PSV Eindhoven and Benfica grabbed headlines with thrilling last-minute comeback victories over Shakhtar Donetsk and Monaco, respectively.

Here’s a summary of all the excitement from UEFA Champions League Matchday 5.

Champions League 2024-25 Matchday 5 Round-Up

Crvena Zvezda Secure First League Phase Win in Style

Crvena Zvezda 5-1 Stuttgart

Crvena Zvezda earned their first points of the league phase with an emphatic victory, overcoming an early setback. Ermedin Demirović gave Stuttgart the lead with a sharp volley just five minutes into the game. However, Silas, on loan at the Serbian club from Stuttgart, equalized with a composed side-footed finish shortly thereafter.

The home side took control after the 30-minute mark, as Rade Krunić converted Youngwoo Seol’s cross with a powerful finish. Substitute Mirko Ivanić added to the lead with a deft header, while Nemanja Radonjić capped off the scoring with two goals to seal the dominant win.

Player of the Match: Rade Krunić (Crvena Zvezda)

Mika Biereth’s Strike Ends Sturm Graz’s Winless Streak

Sturm Graz 1-0 Girona

Mika Biereth’s debut Champions League goal earned Sturm Graz their first points of the campaign in Klagenfurt. Girona came closest to scoring in the first half, with Iván Martín firing over after a well-crafted move. Meanwhile, Blanquivermells keeper Paulo Gazzaniga made a crucial save to deny William Bøving, as the hosts capitalized on key attacking opportunities.

Biereth’s decisive moment came in the 59th minute, as the Denmark Under-21 forward converted from close range, ending Sturm Graz’s 11-game losing streak in the competition.

Player of the Match: Oriol Romeu (Girona)

Benfica Hands Monaco First League Phase Defeat in Thrilling Encounter

Monaco 2-3 Benfica

Benfica snapped Monaco’s unbeaten run in the league phase with a dramatic five-goal showdown at Stade Louis II. Eliesse Ben Seghir gave Monaco an early lead in the 13th minute, finishing off Aleksandr Golovin’s precise cross. Benfica responded early in the second half as Vangelis Pavlidis found the equalizer.

The match turned chaotic with disallowed goals for both teams and a second yellow card for Monaco’s Wilfried Singo. Despite the setback, Monaco regained the lead in the 67th minute through substitute Soungoutou Magassa.

Benfica, however, staged a stunning late comeback. Ángel Di María delivered two impeccable assists for Arthur Cabral and Zeki Amdouni, whose headers sealed a dramatic victory for the Portuguese side.

Player of the Match: Ángel Di María (Benfica)

Aston Villa Hold Juventus to Goalless Stalemate

Aston Villa 0-0 Juventus

Aston Villa maintained their unblemished defensive record at home with a hard-fought draw against Juventus at Villa Park. The visitors relied on goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio, who denied Ollie Watkins early on, and were fortunate when Lucas Digne’s free-kick struck the crossbar just before the break.

Juventus came close to taking the lead in the second half, with Emiliano Martínez making a spectacular save to keep out Francisco Conceição’s header. The Bianconeri’s defensive resilience shone through, highlighted by Manuel Locatelli’s critical block to thwart John McGinn, ensuring Juventus remained unbeaten on the road.

Player of the Match: Francisco Conceição (Juventus)

Ngal’ayel Mukau Brace Lifts Lille to Victory

Bologna 1-2 LOSC Lille

Ngal’ayel Mukau’s double secured a vital win for Lille against Bologna. The hosts had an early setback when Thijs Dallinga’s goal was disallowed for offside, while Alexsandro struck the post as Lille dominated early exchanges. Mukau opened the scoring just before halftime, capitalizing on a rebound after his initial shot was blocked.

Bologna made history with Jhon Lucumí netting their first-ever Champions League goal to level the score. However, Lille quickly regained the lead, with Mukau latching onto Matias Fernandez-Pardo’s pass to seal the win and maximum points for the Ligue 1 side.

Player of the Match: Ngal’ayel Mukau (Lille)

Celtic and Club Brugge Share Spoils in Tense Draw

Celtic 1-1 Club Brugge

Club Brugge started strongly, but clear chances were scarce until a defensive mix-up resulted in Cameron Carter-Vickers inadvertently scoring an own goal to give the visitors the lead.

Celtic came out firing in the second half, and their persistence was rewarded when Daizen Maeda smashed home a spectacular equalizer. Both teams searched for a decisive goal, with Ferran Jutglà’s strike for Brugge disallowed, leaving the match level at full-time.

Player of the Match: Daizen Maeda (Celtic)

Borussia Dortmund Cruise Past GNK Dinamo with Dominant Display

GNK Dinamo 0-3 Borussia Dortmund

A stunning goal from Jamie Gittens set Borussia Dortmund on course for their fourth league phase win. Nuri Sahin’s side dominated from the outset, with Ramy Bensebaini and Donyell Malen both hitting the woodwork. Gittens eventually broke the deadlock before halftime, firing in a powerful strike after cutting in from the left.

Ramy Bensebaini doubled Dortmund’s lead just over ten minutes into the second half, heading home decisively from Pascal Gross’ corner. Substitute Serhou Guirassy sealed the victory late on with a composed finish, capping off a commanding performance by last season’s runners-up.

Player of the Match: Ramy Bensebaini (Dortmund)

Liverpool Secure Top Spot with Win Over Real Madrid

Liverpool 2-0 Real Madrid

Liverpool extended their perfect record in the league phase, clinching a spot in the knockout play-offs with a 2-0 victory over Real Madrid. Both teams had penalty misses during the match, but Liverpool’s well-executed team play proved decisive.

The Reds took the lead early in the second half when Alexis Mac Allister linked up with Conor Bradley to score. Caoimhin Kelleher then denied Kylian Mbappé’s penalty, keeping Liverpool in control.

Although Mohamed Salah missed a penalty for Liverpool, substitute Cody Gakpo sealed the win, heading in from a cleverly taken short corner by Andy Robertson.

Player of the Match: Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool)

PSV Eindhoven Complete Dramatic Comeback to Beat Shakhtar Donetsk

PSV Eindhoven 3-2 Shakhtar Donetsk

PSV Eindhoven pulled off a remarkable comeback, overturning a 2-0 deficit with just minutes remaining to secure a 3-2 victory. Shakhtar Donetsk had taken control in the first half with goals from Danylo Sikan and Oleksandr Zubkov, but the visitors were reduced to ten men when Pedro Henrique was sent off midway through the second half.

Malik Tillman sparked the comeback with a well-taken free-kick and followed it up with an incredible solo effort to level the score. With the game heading into injury time, Ricardo Pepi netted the winner in the dying moments, completing one of the most thrilling turnarounds of the season.

Player of the Match: Malik Tillman (PSV)

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