CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ROUND-UP: ATALANTA AND SPORTING CRUISE AS COPENHAGEN SWEAT AND PAFOS STUN MONACO
It was a dramatic night in the UEFA Champions League as Atalanta and Sporting claimed emphatic 3–0 wins, Copenhagen survived a late scare to take their first victory of the campaign, and Pafos earned a famous draw against Monaco thanks to a late own goal.
Atalanta’s five-minute blitz buries Frankfurt
Atalanta produced a ruthless second-half spell to sweep aside Eintracht Frankfurt 3–0 away from home.
Goals from Ademola Lookman, Ederson and Charles De Ketelaere inside just five minutes after the break completely transformed the game, turning a tight contest into a comfortable victory for the Italian side. The rapid-fire treble not only silenced the home crowd but also underlined Atalanta’s growing confidence in Europe. Reuters+1
Sporting dominate Club Brugge in Lisbon
In Portugal, Sporting matched Atalanta’s scoreline with a commanding 3–0 win over Club Brugge.
Youngster Geovany Quenda opened the scoring, before Luis Suárez doubled the lead with a composed finish. Francisco Trincão then added a third to cap a strong performance from the hosts, who controlled the match and climbed up the league-phase standings with this result. Reuters+1
Copenhagen hold on after late Kairat fightback
FC Copenhagen looked to be cruising when they went 3–0 up against Kairat Almaty, thanks to goals from Viktor Dadason, Jordan Larsson and Robert with just 17 minutes left on the clock.
However, the Kazakh visitors refused to fold. Strikes from Dastan Satpayev and Olzhas Baibek set up a tense finale as Copenhagen suddenly found themselves under heavy pressure. The Danish side ultimately held on for a 3–2 victory, their first three-point haul of the campaign, but only after a nervy finish. Xinhua News+1
Pafos grab famous point as Salisu’s own goal stuns Monaco
In Cyprus, Pafos battled to a memorable 2–2 draw with Monaco.
The French side led twice, first through Takumi Minamino and then Folarin Balogun, but Pafos hit back with an equaliser from David Luiz, whose goal at 38 years old made him the second-oldest scorer in the competition’s history.
Just when Monaco appeared set to escape with all three points, defender Mohammed Salisu turned the ball into his own net late on, gifting Pafos a dramatic leveller and a result that keeps their European dream alive.