Champions League: Liverpool Secures Victory Against Real Madrid, Dortmund Prevails
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Liverpool, Nov 28 (NationPress) Liverpool has become the first team to secure a spot in the round of 16 play-offs after defeating Real Madrid 2-0 at Anfield, marking their fifth consecutive victory in the league phase.
Both teams missed penalty opportunities during the match, which concluded with Liverpool maintaining their flawless league phase record, thanks to two expertly executed team goals. Alexis Mac Allister linked up with Conor Bradley to give the hosts an early lead in the second half, while Caoimhin Kelleher saved a penalty from Kylian Mbappé.
Mohamed Salah also missed his penalty, hitting the post, but the Reds managed to score a second goal thanks to Cody Gakpo, who headed in from a well-taken corner by Andy Robertson.
In another match, Borussia Dortmund made significant progress towards the round of 16 by defeating Dinamo Zagreb 3-0 away, bringing their points total to 12.
A stunning goal from Jamie Gittens set the stage for last year's finalists to achieve their fourth league phase win. Nuri Sahin's team dominated the game from the start, with Ramy Bensebaini and Donyell Malen both striking the woodwork before Gittens put the visitors ahead with a clinical shot just before half-time.
Bensebaini extended their lead shortly after the break, heading in from a corner taken by Pascal Gross, and substitute Serhou Guirassy added a late goal with a composed finish.
In other action, Aston Villa maintained their perfect defensive record at home with a draw against Juventus at Villa Park.
Juve relied on Michele Di Gregorio to save an early shot from Ollie Watkins and were fortunate when Lucas Digne's free-kick hit the crossbar just before the half-time interval.
The Bianconeri nearly took the lead when Emiliano Martínez kept out Francisco Conceicao's header in the second half. Manuel Locatelli later made a vital block to prevent John McGinn from scoring, helping Juve remain unbeaten on the road.
