Spurs block mighty Real
● Liverpool score seven in Slovenia ● Mertens miss a penalty as Man City beat Napoli 2-1
Tottenham held Real Madrid to 1-1 in the Champions League yesterday, a result that kept both clubs at the top of Group H.
Tottenham scored first with an own goal by Raphael Varane as the Madrid defender tried to clear a cross intended for Harry Kane, and Cristiano Ronaldo equalized for Madrid by converting a penalty kick just before halftime after Toni Kroos was fouled.
Tottenham was a tough challenge against the defending champions and could have left Madrid with the victory if Kane didn't have his close-range shot saved by goalkeeper Keylor Navas midway through the second half on one of the game's best scoring opportunities.
The unbeaten sides meet again in England in two weeks.
Liverpool rediscovered its potency by thrashing Maribor 7-0 matching the biggest away win in Champions League history and emphatically securing its first win in Group E.
Mohamed Salah scored twice to follow up goals from Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho as Liverpool took a 4-0 lead at halftime.
Firmino added a second goal before Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain — his first for Liverpool — and Trent Alexander-Arnold completed the rout for Maribor's heaviest loss in the competition.
Manchester City scored twice in the first 13 minutes before holding off a spirited fightback from Napoli to win 2-1 in the Champions League yesterday, maintaining its 100 percent start to group play.
Napoli could have snatched a draw if it had converted both of its penalties at Etihad Stadium after City had scored through Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus.
Dries Mertens had a penalty saved by goalkeeper Ederson Moraes in the first half and Amadou Diawara scored with his attempt in the 73rd.
Brazil winger Bernard scored twice to lead 10-man Shakhtar Donetsk to a 2-1 victory at Feyenoord that solidified the Ukrainian team's grip on second place in Group F of the Champions League.
Shakhtar's second group stage win left Feyenoord without a point following three straight defeats. Manchester City stayed top of Group F thanks to its 2-1 victory over Napoli.
Bernard netted in the 24th and 54th minutes to cancel out a 7thminute strike by Steven Berghuis.
Spartak Moscow sliced apart Sevilla with rapid counterattacks to beat the Spanish team 5-1 in the Champions League.
Quincy Promes headed the Russian champion's opening goal in the 18th minute, eventually finishing with two goals and two assists. Simon Kjaer leveled for Sevilla from a corner in the 30th.
Sevilla put Spartak under heavy pressure at the start of the second half, but was left vulnerable at the back.
Spartak hit back hard as first Lorenzo Melgarejo scored off a Promes pass in the 58th, then captain Denis Glushakov volleyed in a Dmitry Kombarov cross in the 67th.
Luiz Adriano rounded the keeper to bag Spartak's fourth goal, again off a pass from Promes, who added Spartak's fifth.
Borussia Dortmund's hopes of making the second round of the Champions League took a major blow when it was held to 1-1 at APOEL Nicosia yesterday.
After losing its opening games in Group H to Tottenham and Real Madrid, Dortmund needed a win to kick-start its campaign in Europe's premier club competition.
Dortmund's lackluster performance continued after the break and the noisy stadium erupted in joy when Mickael Pote ended APOEL's barren run in front of goal - thanks to a mistake from goalkeeper Roman Buerki.
Greek defender Sokratis equalized five minutes later with a header to Mario Goetze's cross.