| Hugo Ekitike struck against his old team as Liverpool returned to form with a resounding 5-1 win at Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday. Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich were also among the night’s winners.
Liverpool arrived in Germany on the back of four straight defeats, including a 1-0 loss to Galatasaray in their previous European outing. But Jürgen Klopp’s side bounced back emphatically, coming from behind to dismantle Frankfurt, who endured a second consecutive 5-1 defeat after opening their campaign with the same scoreline in their favor.
Rasmus Kristensen put the hosts ahead early on, but Ekitike – who left Frankfurt for Liverpool in July in a £79 million ($105.5m) move – equalized with a powerful breakaway goal. Virgil van Dijk then headed Liverpool in front from a corner, before Ibrahima Konaté added a near-identical third before halftime.
Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai sealed the result after the break, moving Liverpool up to 10th in the new 36-team league phase standings.
“I don’t know if it’s a statement, but it is a win and something to build on,” Van Dijk told TNT Sports.
Chelsea hit Ajax for five
Chelsea matched Liverpool’s scoreline with a 5-1 victory over Ajax at Stamford Bridge in a chaotic match featuring three first-half penalties and an early red card.
Ajax’s Kenneth Taylor was dismissed inside 20 minutes, and Marc Guiu and Moisés Caicedo put Chelsea ahead. Wout Weghorst briefly pulled one back from the spot, but Enzo Fernández and Estevão converted penalties before halftime.
Teenager Tyrique George added a fifth in the second half, marking the first time in Champions League history that three teenagers have scored for the same team.
“We trust a lot of young players,” said manager Enzo Maresca. “That’s the club’s strategy – not just those we buy, but also from the academy.”
Chelsea have now won their last two European fixtures since losing their opener 3-1 to Bayern Munich. Ajax remain bottom of the standings, one of only two sides yet to earn a point, alongside José Mourinho’s Benfica.
Kane and Bellingham on target as Bayern and Madrid stay perfect
Harry Kane scored his 20th goal in just 12 appearances as Bayern Munich eased to a 4-0 win over Club Brugge. Seventeen-year-old Lennart Karl opened the scoring before Kane, Luis Díaz, and Nicolas Jackson completed the rout, keeping Bayern among five teams with maximum points.
Real Madrid also maintained their perfect record, edging Juventus 1-0 at the Santiago Bernabéu thanks to Jude Bellingham’s first goal of the season. The England midfielder scored just before the hour mark after Vinícius Júnior’s effort hit the post. Juventus are now winless in seven matches.
“It was a very tough game with chances at both ends,” said goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. “We had to sweat for it, but it’s an important win against a big team.”
Mixed fortunes elsewhere for English sides
Tottenham Hotspur were the only English team not to win this week, held to a goalless draw away to Monaco.
In Lisbon, Sporting CP came from behind to beat Marseille 2-1 after a pivotal red card to Emerson Palmieri. Igor Paixão had given the French side the lead, but Geny Catamo and Alisson Santos turned the match around for the hosts.
In Istanbul, Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen scored twice as Galatasaray defeated Bodo/Glimt 3-1. Yunus Akgün netted the other goal for the Turkish champions, with Andreas Helmersen replying late.
Athletic Bilbao also won 3-1 at home to Qarabag after falling behind to an early Leandro Andrade goal. Gorka Guruzeta struck twice, while Robert Navarro added another.
Atalanta and Slavia Prague played out a goalless draw in the night’s other fixture.
The next round of Champions League action, in two weeks’ time, will feature headline clashes between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, and Liverpool against Real Madrid.
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