Real too strong for Dortmund
A brace from Cristiano Ronaldo helped two-time defending champion Real Madrid to a 3-1 win at Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League group stage yesterday.
Ronaldo, yet to score in the Spanish league where he sat out a five-game suspension for shoving a referee, took his tally in Europe's premier competition to four goals in two games as he sent Dortmund to its second straight defeat in Group H.
Gareth Bale put the visitors ahead with a brilliant volley to the top far corner early in the first half, then ran onto Toni Kroos' forward ball and crossed for Ronaldo to score early in the second.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang pulled one back almost straight away for Dortmund, but Ronaldo sealed the win late with a thumping finish to beat Roman Buerki at his near post.
Harry Kane scored a hat trick to lead Tottenham to a 3-0 win over Apoel Nicosia in the Champions League, taking the striker's tally after two Group H games to five goals.
After scoring twice in Spurs' 3-1 win over Borussia Dortmund, Kane grabbed the opening goal in Cyprus when he finished from the edge of the area in the 39th minute from Toby Alderweireld's defense-splitting pass.
The England international then added further goals in the 62nd and 67th minutes — completing a haul featuring strikes with his right foot, left foot and head.
Kane has now scored nine goals in his last five games in all competitions.
Napoli bounced back from a poor start to its Champions League campaign with a convincing 3-1 win over Feyenoord.
Dries Mertens extended his redhot form by scoring one goal and setting up another, while Lorenzo Insigne and Jose Callejon also found the net, and goalkeeper Pepe Reina saved a penalty.
Sofyan Amrabat pulled one back for Feyenoord in added time.
Insigne scored with an impressive solo effort seven minutes in at the San Paolo stadium, Mertens found the net with a precise angled shot four minutes after the break and Mertens set up Callejon's goal in the 70th.
Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling scored either side of Sergio Aguero's penalty miss as Manchester City beat Shakhtar Donetsk 2-0 for a second straight victory in Group F.
By seeing his penalty saved by goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov, Aguero missed a chance to join Eric Brook as City's all-time record scorer on 177 goals. It didn't end up costing the English club, though.
De Bruyne, playing in a deeper midfield role this season, has been central to City's great start to the Premier League and in Europe this season, but hadn't yet scored.
He ended that barren run in the 48th minute by collecting David Silva's short pass across the face of the penalty area and curling a shot into the top corner.
Sterling came on as a substitute and clinched victory in the 90th minute, crashing a finish in off the crossbar after Bernardo Silva had broken the offside trap down the right.
Vincent Aboubakar scored twice as Monaco slumped to a 3-0 home loss against Porto in their Champions League Group G match.
Monaco dominated early proceedings but lacked a cutting edge in the first half against a Porto side that defended extremely well. The hosts were punished near the half-hour mark for sloppy defending and Aboubakar made it 2-0 in the 69th minute on the break.
Missed chances cost Liverpool as it dropped Champions League points in a 1-1 draw at Spartak Moscow yesterday.
After falling behind to Fernando's free-kick for Spartak in the 23rd minute, Liverpool responded soon afterward with a fine finish by Philippe Coutinho.
Liverpool dominated the attack but Firmino and substitute Daniel Sturridge missed good chances, while Salah had a header saved deep into injury time.
Wissam Ben Yedder scored a hat trick to lead Sevilla to a comfortable 3-0 win over Maribor in Group E of the Champions League yesterday.
Ben Yedder scored his first two goals about 10 minutes apart before halftime, and added the third by converting a penalty late in the second half to give Sevilla four points after two matches.
Sevilla was coming off a draw at Liverpool, while Maribor drew with Spartak Moscow in Slovenia.
Sevilla was in control from the start at the Ramon SanchezPizjuan Stadium, creating most of the scoring chances and barely being threatened at the other end.