Key events
Full time: Sturm Graz 0-2 Sporting
Viktor Gyökeres’ solo run and finish caps another impressive European display for Sporting, who have seven points from three games.
Full time: Juventus 0-1 Stuttgart
Stuttgart seal a deserved win in stoppage time after seeing a first goal ruled out for VAR and a penalty saved. Juventus were distinctly second best.
Full time: Arsenal 1-0 Shakhtar Donetsk
The Gunners get it done despite Leandro Trossard’s missed penalty – and not a red card in sight.
Full time: PSG 1-1 PSV Eindhoven
No last-minute reprieve for PSG as Benitez makes a fine save and the ball is hooked off the line. PSV hold on for a point, and the final whistle is met by boos at Parc des Princes.
Full time: Real Madrid 5-2 Dortmund
Dortmund led 2-0 at half-time but were blown away by the hosts’ comeback, with Vinícius Júnior hitting a hat-trick as Real Madrid reminded everyone who’s in charge.
Full time: Aston Villa 2-0 Bologna
Aston Villa, they’re top of the league. Goals from McGinn and Durán steer the hosts through a tough battle, and they have three wins from three.
No penalty! Marco Asensio went down in a heap, and the referee pointed to the spot – but after looking at a replay, it’s overturned due to a lack of contact. Although there did appear to be some contact …
GOAL! Real Madrid 5-2 Dortmund (Vini Jr 94′)
Ballon d’Or?! Vinícius completes his hat-trick in emphatic style, firing into the roof of the net. And in Paris … a penalty to the hosts …
GOAL! Juventus 0-1 Stuttgart (Touré 93′)
El Bilal Touré has surely won it for Stuttgart! A lovely first touch, and he fires beyond Perin. That’s set to be the shock of the night …
“PSG v PSV is one of the most finely balanced matchups I can think of,” writes Peter Oh. “The Postscript Derby?” It might live up to the billing, if either team can find a winner in stoppage time.
GOAL! Real Madrid 4-2 Dortmund (Viní Jr 89′)
Vinícius puts icing, cherry and a festive bow on the comeback, drilling the ball home after a surge upfield and dispensing with his shirt before piling into the home fans. Ballon d’Or, Ballon d’Or?
Missed penalty! It was awarded for a foul by Danilo, who is shown a second yellow card for his troubles. Millot steps up … but Perin gets low to his right and saves! Juve survive again – while in Girona, Stuani also sees his penalty saved and it stays 2-0 to the hosts.
GOAL! Real Madrid 3-2 Dortmund (Vázquez 86′)
Honestly, the only surprise here is the goalscorer – it’s Lucas Vázquez, Real’s backup right-back, who smashes home from a tight angle. Comeback complete …
Penalty to Stuttgart! After a long VAR check – for what, I do not know – the referee heads to Monitor Town, and quickly awards the visitors a late penalty!
Kylian Mbappé shoots from a narrow angle, but he is denied by Kobel – then at the other end, Courtois saves from Brandt as Dortmund threaten to retake the lead.
Worth pointing out that if Villa see this out, they will have nine points – probably enough to qualify for the next round already. But Unai Emery will surely have an eye on securing a top-eight finish from here.
Arsenal penalty saved! Leandro Trossard has the chance to seal victory from the spot … but he’s denied by the Shakhtar keeper. Arsenal struggling to put this game to bed …
GOAL! Girona 2-0 Slovan Bratislava (Juanpe 73′)
Centre-half Juanpe steps up for a free kick, and sends the ball spinning into the top corner via a deflection. Girona’s first Champions League win is in sight now.
Here’s the Durán goal. The striker was taken off for Ollie Watkins straight afterwards, and he wasn’t too happy with the decision.
With Dortmund pegged back in Madrid, Aston Villa are now top of the Champions League mega-table!
GOAL! Aston Villa 2-0 Bologna (Durán 63′)
Speaking of quickfire doubles … Villa lead 2-0! Morgan Rogers curls in an excellent cross towards Jhon Durán, who gets an instinctive touch to flick the ball into the far corner.
GOAL! Real Madrid 2-2 Dortmund (Viní Jr 61′)
That didn’t take long – Mbappé is played in on goal and while he’s denied a shot by a fine tackle, the ball rolls across goal for Vinícius to sweep into an empty net. Mbappé flagged offside, but VAR overturns as he was clearly onside when the pass was played.
GOAL! Real Madrid 1-2 Dortmund (Rüdiger 59′)
Real Madrid have been going full-throttle since the second half began, and they pull one back as Mbappé’s cross is headed home by Antonio Rüdiger!
GOAL! PSG 1-1 PSV (Hakimi 55′)
Achraf Hakimi drills a shot from 25 yards out which zips through Walter Benitez’s legs and into the net! Struggling to remember a keeper being nutmegged from that far out, but correct me if I’m wrong.
GOAL! Aston Villa 1-0 Bologna (McGinn 55′)
John McGinn with a free kick in front of the Holte End … he swings it in with his left foot, and it clears everybody, bounces once, and nestles in the far corner! It’s checked by VAR for a brush off Ross Barkley’s arm, but the goal stands.
GOAL! Sturm Graz 0-2 Sporting (Gyökeres 54′)
An outrageous solo effort from Viktor Gyökeres, who picks the ball up on the left flank, bustles inside beyond one marker, then keeps going sideways, past the keeper and another defender, before slotting into the bottom corner.
Leon Bailey goes close for Villa, turning his low shot just wide of the far post. That’s probably the closest the hosts have come in a tricky encounter so far.
A goal in Turin – and it’s Stuttgart who get it, Deniz Undav firing home at the near post via a deflection. But wait … it’s been disallowed for handball! It’s hard to tell, even on second or third viewing, which side of the “T-shirt line” the ball struck as Undav brought it down.
“Stuttgart played excellently against Real Madrid, but it felt all the time as if Los Blancos would do what they always do, i.e. enough to win,” writes Kari Tulinius. “But Juventus feel like they’re there for the taking. Mittelstadt and Leweling have had the freedom of the left side, while Undav and Millot look menacing. Juventus had a free-kick in a decentish position, but have otherwise looked overwhelmed. And they’re the home team!” I do hope you haven’t just jinxed it, Kari …
Champions League half-times
Arsenal 1-0 Shakhtar
Aston Villa 0-0 Bologna
Girona 1-0 Slovan Bratislava
Juventus 0-0 Stuttgart
PSG 0-1 PSV Eindhoven
Real Madrid 0-2 Dortmund
Sturm Graz 0-1 Sporting
Half time: Arsenal 1-0 Shakhtar Donetsk
All going according to plan for the Gunners so far – they lead at the break through an own goal.
Half time: Real Madrid 0-2 Dortmund
Most of said drama could be found at the Bernabéu, where the visitors struck twice in quick succession to leave Real Madrid at risk of a second-straight defeat.
Half time: Aston Villa 0-0 Bologna
There’s been more drama elsewhere, but Bologna have had the better chances in a goalless first half.
Half time: PSG 0-1 PSV Eindhoven
Lee Kang-in almost punishes some loose PSV defending, but Benitez gets down well to save his shot. And that’s half time. On a separate note, I like this PSV away kit – it looks like a Bury or Tranmere shirt from the mid-90s.
GOAL! Girona 1-0 Slovan Bratislava (Miguel 45′)
A breakthrough for the debutants just before half time, with full-back Miguel Gutiérrez turning home Arnaut Danjuma’s cross.
League One half-times: Barnsley 1-0 Charlton, Birmingham 1-0 Bolton, Bristol Rovers 0-0 Shrewsbury, Burton 1-0 Wycombe, Crawley 0-0 Lincoln, Exeter 0-2 Reading, Leyton Orient 0-0 Rotherham, Peterborough 3-1 Blackpool, Stevenage 0-1 Cambridge, Stockport 0-0 Northampton, Wigan 0-1 Mansfield, Wrexham 0-0 Huddersfield.
League Two half-times: Barrow 1-0 Notts County, Cheltenham 1-1 Bradford, Chesterfield 0-1 Colchester, Doncaster 0-1 Bromley, Fleetwood 0-0 Crewe, Gillingham 0-2 Newport, Harrogate 0-0 Port Vale, MK Dons 1-0 Accrington, Salford 1-0 Swindon, Wimbledon 0-0 Morecambe.
The eternal champions do hit the woodwork twice in quick succession through Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham – but at the other end, Julian Brandt brings a flying save from Courtois to stop Dortmund making it 3-0.
GOAL! Real Madrid 0-2 Dortmund (Gittens 34′)
Woof. Dortmund double their lead at the Bernabéu, with Malen sweeping the ball across goal for Jamie Gittens to smash home at the far post. Real Madrid in more than a spot of bother …
