On Wednesday, the latest matches of the Champions League league phase 4th matchday took place, delivering two dramatic stories at once. The biggest surprise was the away defeat of English powerhouse Liverpool in Istanbul, while Real Madrid secured a hard-fought victory in Athens. Both matches ended with a score of 3:2 in favor of the home teams, and in both cases, the outcome was decided only in the dying minutes.
Istanbul Upset: Fenerbahce Sensationally Beats Liverpool
In the match in Istanbul, the hosts achieved a comeback victory over the English giants. Liverpool opened the scoring in the 25th minute thanks to a goal by Trey Nyoni, but just four minutes later Mason Greenwood equalized. After the break, the English side took the lead again: in the 69th minute, Alexander Isak converted his chance. But the Turkish team did not give up — Archie Brown leveled the score in the 73rd minute, and six minutes later Vedat Muriqi scored the winning goal, securing a 3:2 victory for Fenerbahce.
Coach Duel and Managerial Change
Special attention was drawn to the coaching duel. Fenerbahce was managed in this match by Dirk Kuyt, the interim head coach of the Turkish club. In the past, the Dutchman played for Liverpool for six years (2006–2012), adding an extra storyline to the encounter. At the same time, Kuyt will not manage the team going forward: on the same day, Fenerbahce presented Emre Belözoglu as their new head coach.
Athens: Real Madrid Snatches Victory in Stoppage Time
No less dramatic was the match in Athens, where local side AEK put up a fight against Real Madrid but ultimately lost 3:2. The hosts opened the scoring in the 12th minute through Aboubakary Koita, but Jude Bellingham equalized in the 32nd minute. In the second half, the teams continued to trade goals: in the 75th minute, Stavros Pilios put AEK ahead again, but just three minutes later Kylian Mbappé leveled the score. The climax arrived in stoppage time — in the 90+2nd minute, Federico Valverde scored Real's third goal to seal the victory for Madrid.
Ukrainian Accent in AEK's Lineup
In the 88th minute, Ukrainian Oleksandr Zubkov came on for AEK in place of Luka Jović. Our compatriot did not have enough time to change the course of the match and help his team secure points in this clash — the match ended in defeat. Previously, the editorial team also covered the events in the Champions League main stage match between Shakhtar and Sporting.
