Madrid beaten again, Bayern thrash Atletico
MADRID: Real Madrid couldn’t halt their losing streak in the Champions League, and no one seems able to stop Bayern Munich’s winning run.
Madrid’s 3- 2 loss to a depleted Shakhtar Donetsk team was the most surprising result of Wednesday’s opening group games— while Bayern delivered the most impressive performance with a 4- 0 win over Atletico Madrid.
It was a third straight loss in the competition for Real Madrid— their worst run in 34 years. For defending champion Bayern, it was a 12th straight Champions League victory.
Wins for Liverpool and Manchester City capped a good round for English clubs, and Atalanta again showed their free- scoring style to win 4- 0 at overmatched newcomer Midtjylland.
Real Madrid have been unconvincing, especially at home, in the Champions League since lifting a recordextending 13th European title three seasons ago.
Yet Shakhtar were missing several starters after a Covid-19 outbreak at the club.
The Ukrainian champions still led 3- 0 at half- time, exposing a Madrid defense missing injured captain Sergio Ramos.
“It’s my job to find solutions because these kind of games can’t happen,” said coach Zinedine Zidane, who left veterans Toni Kroos and Karim Benzema on the bench ahead of playing Barcelona on Saturday.
Few fans attended the eight games, because of the spiking coronavirus infections across Europe, and there were none at Olympiakos to see a stoppage- time goal earn a 1- 0 win over Marseille.
Only 1,000 were at San Siro to see Romelu Lukaku score in his ninth straight European game, including a 90th minute equalizer, to help Inter Milan draw 2- 2 with Borussia Monchengladbach.
In Madrid, goals from Tete and Manor Solomon either side of an own goal by Madrid defender Raphael Varane came in a 13-minute spell before halftime.
Madrid hit back with Luka Modric’s long-range shot in the 54th and minutes later substitute Vinícius Júnior, who entered and ran direct from the touchline to steal possession and score.
Also in Group B, an Inter team also affected by a virus outbreak, drew 2- 2 with Monchengladbach.
After a goalless first half, Lukaku scored early and late in the second for last season’s Europa League runnersup.
Monchengladbach had taken a 2- 1 lead when Jonas Hoffman’s goal in the 84th was confirmed after a video review lasting several minutes.
Champions in Lisbon two months ago, Bayern carried over its dominant European form in a 4- 0 dismantling of Atletico. Kingsley Coman, scorer of the title-winning goal against Paris Saint- Germain, netted twice.
The game went ahead after a further round of testing of Bayern players on Wednesday, one day after forward Serge Gnabry’s Covid- 19 infection was revealed.
Also in Group A, Salzburg was held 2-2 at home by Lokomotiv Moscow.
Man City started a competition they were originally banned from by UEFA with a 3-1 win at home Porto.
In Amsterdan, a 1- 0 win for Liverpool was decided by Sadio Mane’s shot in the 35th forcing an own goal from defender Nicolas Tagliafico.