A Real stunner in Moscow
Real Madrid failed to score for the third straight game as they slumped to a 1-0 loss at CSKA Moscow in the Champions League group stage yesterday.
With Sergio Ramos rested, the European champions’ defence seemed disjointed and conceded as early as the second minute when CSKA’s Nikola Vlasic intercepted a pass from Toni Kroos and struck the ball low past Keylor Navas.
Madrid slowly found their way into the game but had to contend with a tightly packed CSKA defence. Casemiro hit the post in the 28th minute with a speculative shot, Karim Benzema headed onto the bar in the 40th, and Mariano Diaz headed onto the post late on.
David Silva scored late for Manchester City to end their four-game losing streak in the Champions League with a 2-1 win at Hoffenheim.
The Spanish forward struck from a narrow angle with three minutes remaining after pouncing on a loose ball ahead of 21-year-old defender Stefan Posch.
City bounced back from their opening 2-1 home loss to Lyon in the competition despite falling behind inside the first minute, when Ishak Belfodil shot past Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson after Kerem Demirbay played the ball through the visitors’ defence.
Sergio Aguero equalised minutes later with a simple finish after Germany winger Leroy Sane capped a good team move to set the Argentine up.
No Cristiano Ronaldo, no problem for Juventus.
Paulo Dybala filled in for the suspended star by scoring his first Champions League hat trick to give the Italian team a 3-0 victory over Young Boys.
With Ronaldo watching from the stands after getting his first red card in the competition in the previous round, Dybala rediscovered the scoring form that saw the Argentina international score 22 Serie A goals last season.
Edin Dzeko can’t stop scoring against Viktoria Plzen.
The Bosnia and Herzegovina striker netted a hat-trick to raise his tally to nine goals in eight matches against the Czech side as Roma revived their campaign with a 5-0 rout.
Turkey winger Cengiz Under added another for Romaand 19-year-old forward Justin Kluivert also knocked in a rebound.
There was no reprieve for embattled Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho as his side failed to break through Valencia in a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford.
The Spanish side was rarely troubled in the goalless draw, with United’s Marcus Rashford coming closest to scoring when his freekick clipped the top of the bar. United, who are having their worst start to a league campaign in 29 years, sit second in the group.