Sports Desk, Oct 26 (EFE).- Erling Haaland ended his five-game Champions League goal drought with a match-winning double to give Manchester City a 3-1 victory over Swiss club Young Boys on Wednesday.
Paris Saint Germain’s Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring a goal during the UEFA Champions League Group F match between Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan in Paris, France 25 October 2023. EFE-EPA/CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON
City’s third successive win in Bern in the Group G contest was matched by Barcelona, who beat Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 at home to stay perfect in Group H with a maximum of nine points from three matches.
Barcelona’s striker Ferran Torres (R) jubilates with his teammates after scoring the 1-0 during their UEFA Champions League group H soccer match between FC Barcelona and Shaktar Donetsk at Montjuic stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, 25 October 2023. EFE-EPA/Enric Fontcuberta
Kylian Mbappe was among the scorers as Paris Saint-Germain beat seven-time champions AC Milan 3-0 to take the lead in Group F, billed as the group of death.
Santiago Gimenez of Feyenoord scores the 3-0 goal during the UEFA Champions League group E soccer match between Feyenoord and SS Lazio, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 25 October 2023. EFE-EPA/OLAF KRAAK
Haaland returned to the Champions League score sheet with a firmly taken penalty and right-footed strike after Meschack Elia cancelled out Manuel Akanji’s opener.
Antwerp’s Toby Alderweireld (L) in action against Porto’s Pepe (R) during the UEFA Champions League Group H match between Royal Antwerp and FC Porto in Antwerp, Belgium, 25 October 2023. EFE-EPA/OLIVIER MATTHYS
The Norwegian has now scored 37 Champions League goals in 33 appearances despite remaining scoreless in his last five contests.
In Paris, the star of the night was again Mbappe, who scored the opening goal assisted by teenager Warren Zaïre-Emery.
Randal Kolo Muani made it 2-0, and substitute Kang-In Lee added the third after the post denied Mbappe his second goal of the match.
The win put PSG ahead of Borussia Dortmund, winner at Newcastle 1-0, with six points, while Milan, who are yet to score in the competition this season and suffered their first ever defeat to the Paris side, stayed at the bottom.
Barcelona celebrated their 200th win in the European Cup and Champions League with goals from Ferran Torres and Fermin Lopez in the space of eight first-half minutes.
Georgiy Sudakov struck from a rapid counterattack in the second half and came close to the equalizer quite a few times, only for Barcelona to hang on to their lead.
Porto trailed them by three points in the group after Evanilson’s second-half hat-trick ensured the side’s 4-1 win over Royal Antwerp.
Alhassan Yussuf gave the hosts a shock first-half lead, but Evanilson’s treble and Stephen Eustáquio’s goal restored the order to give Porto a convincing win in the end.
The night was also memorable for Porto’s veteran defender Pepe, who, at 40 years and 241 days, became the oldest outfield player to appear in the Champions League.
In Group E, Celtic held onto a 2-2 draw against Atletico Madrid to take their first point of the season.
Celtic took the lead through Kyogo Furuhashi just four minutes into the contest, but Antoine Griezmann equalized for the Madrid side in the 25th minute.
Luis Palma restored the lead for the home side before Álvaro Morata headed home in the second half to put the score level again.
Madrid’s Rodrigo De Paul was sent off late in an otherwise entertaining contest.
The leaders of the group, however, are now Feyenoord, who beat Lazio 3-1 at home.
Mexican striker Santiago Gimenez has now scored in nine successive games for the Dutch side to open the scoring at Rotterdam before Ramiz Zerrouki doubled the lead with a wonderful strike.
Gimenez made it 3-0 with his second goal of the night. The Italian side reduced the margin with a late penalty by Pedro Rodríguez.
Leipzig rounded up the night with a 3-1 win over Crvena Zvezda, with goals from David Raum, Xavi Simons, and Dani Olmo. Marko Stemanic scored the only goal for the Serbian side. EFE
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