LAST UPDATE | 28 Sep 2021
SHERIFF TIRASPOL PULLED off one of the biggest upsets in Champions League history on Tuesday by beating Real Madrid 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Sebastien Thill scoring a stunning 89th-minute winner.
Madrid fell behind to Jasurbek Yakhshiboev’s header in the first half but Karim Benzema’s penalty appeared to have spared the blushes of the Spanish giants, only for Thill to snatch an incredible victory.
The result will go down as one of the most surprising in the history of the competition and delivers a significant boost to Sheriff’s chances of qualifying for the last 16.
They now have six points out of six in Group D, having already beaten Shakhtar Donetsk.
When Sheriff were founded in 1997, Madrid were about to win the seventh of their 13 European Cups.
Sheriff have since won 19 out of the last 21 Moldovan titles including the last six.
Luis Suarez’s last-gasp penalty gave Atletico Madrid a 2-1 comeback win at AC Milan, who failed to hold on to their early lead after playing for an hour with 10-men.
Seven-time European champions Milan thought they were on for their first Champions League win since 2013 when Rafael Leao opened the scoring with 19 minutes gone in the Group B clash at the San Siro, but Antoine Griezmann struck with a superb volley with six minutes left to level the scores before Suarez’s stoppage-time spot-kick broke Milan hearts.
Diego Simeone’s side sit second in the group on four points, two behind Liverpool, after the win which looked unlikely until Franck Kessie was sent off in the 30th minute for a second bookable offence.
Milan were on top until then, snappy in the tackle and on top of Atleti every time the away side had the ball, but sit bottom with zero points following their second successive defeat.
Donyell Malen made up for the absence of Erling Braut Haaland by scoring his first goal for Borussia Dortmund as the hosts beat Sporting Lisbon 1-0 to move joint top of their Champions League group and on a collision course with fellow leaders Ajax.
Dortmund were dealt a blow before kick-off at Signal Iduna Park when it was confirmed Haaland, who has scored 21 goals in just 17 Champions League games, was out with a leg injury.
With Haaland watching from the stands, Dortmund finally saw some return on the €30 million they spent signing Malen from PSV Eindhoven in July when the 22-year-old scored his first goal in his tenth game for his new club.
It could have been more as Dortmund had three goals disallowed – two from Malen and one by club captain Marco Reus – all for offside.
American coach Jesse Marsch’s rocky start at RB Leipzig continued as his side suffered a major blow to their Champions League campaign with a shock 2-1 defeat at home to Club Brugge.
Underdogs Brugge fought back from a goal down to spring a surprise in Saxony and leave Leipzig bottom of a tough Group A which also includes heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City.
Leipzig’s second defeat in two European games heaps further pressure on Marsch, who has now lost five of nine games in all competitions since taking the reins at the beginning of the season.
Buoyed by their weekend win, Leipzig got off to a perfect start as Lukas Klostermann and Emil Forsberg combined to set up Christopher Nkunku, who squeezed the ball into the bottom corner under goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.
Yet the hosts were unable to settle as Charles De Ketelaere and Hans Vanaken led a spirited fightback from the Belgian side.
The Brugge front two forced several saves from Leipzig keeper Gulacsi before combining for the equaliser on 23 minutes — De Ketelaere wriggling free on the left and squaring to Vanaken for a tap-in.
Five minutes before the break, Vanaken set up Mats Rits to give the visitors a deserved lead, which they held comfortably for much of the second half.
Ivory Coast Sebastien Haller took his tally to 10 goals in as many games this season as Ajax beat Besiktas 2-0 to move top of Group C.
Haller, who joined the Dutch league holders from West Ham in January, kneed home his effort just before the break after midfielder Steven Berghuis had opened the scoring at the Johan Cruyff ArenA.
Elsewhere, Serie A champions Inter Milan remain winless in Europe this season following the 0-0 draw at Shakhtar Donetsk.
Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk was a spectator in Kiev days after beating Anthony Joshua on points to become just the third boxer after Evander Holyfield of the United States and Britain’s David Haye to win both the cruiserweight and heavyweight world titles
The home team’s attacker Lassina Traore was stretchered off after 11 minutes following a collision with Netherlands winger Dumfries.
Burkina Faso international’s right leg and ankle were caught under Dumfries’ body before the 20-year-old was helped off the pitch with his hands covering his face. He was replaced by Tete.
The best of the first half chances fell to Nicolo Barella as the Inter midfielder hit the crossbar with a shot after a quarter of an hour.
Inter were inches away from the winner with three minutes left as Shakhtar goalkeeper and captain Andriy Pyatov tipped Joaquin Correa’s curling shot past the post.
Champions League Results
Group A
- RB Leipzig 1-2 Club Brugge
Group B
- AC Milan 1-2 Atletico Madrid
Group C
- Ajax 2-0 Besiktas
- Borussia Dortmund 1-0 Sporting CP
Group D
- Shakhtar Donetsk 0-0 Inter Milan
- Real Madrid 1-2 FC Sheriff
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