PSV trounce Liverpool as Arsenal topple Bayern while PSG and Real also win

With Liverpool facing a third-straight defeat on Wednesday, what might have appeared to be a scuffle appears to be a full-blown crisis for Arne Slot, who has been struggling for English glory.

After PSV Eindhoven won the Champions League with a 4-1 win, Liverpool has lost nine of its previous 12 games. Before the international break and Saturday’s match against Nottingham Forest, the Reds were trailing 3-0 in the Premier League to Manchester City.

Given that Liverpool won the Premier League title a few months ago, slot is under increasing pressure, and defensive errors once more led to his team’s defeat against PSV.

Ivan Perisic, 36, converted the penalty that Virgil van Dijk had received in the opening match against the Dutch champions.

Ten minutes later, Dominik Szoboszlai scored the equalizer for PSV, but Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate, who has received harsh criticism from fans and pundits in recent months, completely missed the ball to give the visitors a second chance.

Ricardo Pepi, a US forward, hit the post, and Couhaib Driouech was the one to turn the rebound.

To finish the humiliation, Driouech added a fourth in stoppage time.

Bayern loses to lead the UCL league phase at Arsenal.

With a 3-1 victory over Bayern Munich, Arsenal won the Champions League title game for the first time in a decade and maintain their 100% record.

After 22 minutes, Jurien Timber put Mikel Arteta’s side in front, but Lennart Karl, a Bayern student, did it again before half-time.

However, Arsenal’s impressive squad depth was demonstrated in the second half when Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli scored the goals to give them five wins from five.

Harry Kane’s prolific Bayern strikers’ quiet return to north London came as his team lost for the first time in all competitions.

Arsenal are now the only team in the competition with a maximum of 15 points, and they look all but guaranteed of making it to the last 16. Inter Milan has dropped points, making them the only team with that many.

Arsenal and Bayern Munich have been Europe’s standout teams this season, six points clear of the Premier League and Bundesliga, respectively, and have flawless records following four Champions League games.

Bayern and Bayern met in the quarterfinals two years ago, and Bayern won. However, Arsenal has moved up a gear and entered Wednesday’s game on an unbeaten run in all competitions.

The 15th meeting between them lacked jeopardy, but bragging rights and psychological snobs were up for grabs because both clubs’ last-16 spots already appeared secure.

Thanks to a victory that will have lasting effects throughout Europe, Arsenal came out on top with both.

Bayern, supported by a vociferous traveling army, appeared confident at first but were stunned when Arsenal scored the kind of devastatingly simple goal that has become their custom.

Manuel Neuer was denied by Bayern goalkeeper Myles Lewis-Skelly when Bukayo Saka curled in a corner and he rose to head a header into the net.

Bayern responded with another move right off the training grounds, but the lead only lasted for ten minutes.

Michael Olise, 17, who became the first player to score against Arsenal in the Champions League this season, received Joshua Kimmich’s raking pass after a protracted passing spell.

Karl showed some impressive character in the second half, when he burst into the area and shot straight at goalkeeper David Raya, who was largely in the peripheral.

Arsenal then relinquished control.

When Mikel Merino scored from a Declan Rice corner and nodded a header down, Neuer denied him, and Rice was then saved after the midfielder’s marauding run.

However, Bayern’s defense was struggling, and Arsenal’s pressure came through when Riccardo Calafiori headed in a cross from the left that fellow substitute Madueke turned in for his first goal for the club in the 69th minute.

Eight minutes later, Neuer had a moment to forget when he attempted to cut out Eberechi Eze’s pass but was unable to land a ball in the net.

Real Madrid avoids Olympiakos scare with Mbappe scoring all four goals.

Kylian Mbappe’s four goals, including the second-fastest hat-trick in Champions League history in just eight minutes, gave Real Madrid the lead in a 4-3 victory over Olympiakos.

In the 22nd minute, Mbappe beat two defenders to turn in Chiquinho’s eighth-minute lead. The Frenchman then added a fine finish to his hat-trick with another excellent finish just before the Greeks had time to recover from the double strike.

After a strong opening half, the Spaniards were successful, but the hosts cut the deficit seven minutes later with a close-range header before Mbappe’s tap-in from yet another Vinicius Jr. assist briefly restored order.

Real ended their three-game winless run with an 81st-minute header from Ayoub El Kaabi, but the Olympiacos were unable to find another goal despite intense late pressure.

Real moved up to fifth place in the league phase table with three gamedays left, with the top eight earning automatic passage to the knockout stage and 12 points from five games. The Olympiakos are 33rd in terms of points.

Tottenham made work of UCL holders PSG

With two moments of brilliance from Vitinha helping Luis Enrique’s side to victory, holders Paris St Germain twice came from behind to defeat Tottenham Hotspur 5-3 in the Champions League.

At the back, PSG appeared fragile, conceding twice due to defensive errors and exhibiting some of the same problems that caused Bayern Munich to lose 2-1 in the previous round, but they managed to turn things around at Parc des Princes with greater control and effectiveness.

PSG were forced to work after Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani twice led to a double, with France forward Vitinha scoring a hat-trick with two fine strikes and a penalty. Pacho and Fabian Ruiz also added goals with both scores.

Source: Aljazeera