United News of Bangladesh

Real Madrid tasted their first defeat of the season in all competitions on Tuesday in the Champions League, losing 1-0 to Liverpool. Just three days later, they dropped points in La Liga against Rayo Vallecano. Xabi Alonso’s men were held to a goalless draw on Sunday in Vallecas after a colourless performance. With this result, their grip on the La Liga summit loosened as arch-rivals Barcelona can move within reach again with a win away at Celta Vigo. Los Blancos attempted a total of 21 shots with 54 percent possession but managed only five on target, while Rayo registered only two on target from 13 attempts. Arda Güler tested Batalla early with a 3rd-minute strike from outside the box. In the 20th minute, Andrei Ratiu missed a golden chance for Rayo, shooting straight at Thibaut Courtois despite having an unmarked teammate in front of goal. Two minutes later, Vinicius Junior’s dipping effort was kept out by Batalla’s sharp reflexes. Raul Asensio then failed to convert a close-range header in the 23rd minute. Neither side produced notable chances afterward in the first half. The tempo increased after the break. Jorge de Frutos’ shot went wide from a tight angle in the 50th minute, while Güler missed by inches three minutes later. In the 55th, Jude Bellingham’s near-post effort was denied by Batalla again. Real kept pressing but struggled to create clear openings inside the box. Fede Valverde’s 69th-minute long-range strike was pushed away by Batalla, and Éder Militão’s 87th-minute header was also gathered by the Rayo keeper. Güler’s final attempt in added time deflected wide. With the draw, Real Madrid still remain top with 31 points from 12 matches. Villarreal sit second with 26 from 12, while defending champions Barcelona are third with 25 from 11. They will play against Celta Vigo with an eye to narrowing the gap at the top.

Ultimately, it was not about who returned to Anfield but what returned. An in-form Real Madrid team came to the Reds’ home after a year, but left with a similar outcome due to the same man—Alexis Mac Allister. Mac Allister had opened the scoring last November in Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over the Spanish giants. This time, his goal was again the only difference, although Xabi Alonso’s team entered the pitch in strong recent form against a Liverpool side experiencing a turbulent period. With this, the Reds handed the Madrid giants their first defeat in the UCL this season. Liverpool defeated Real Madrid 1-0 in the Champions League at Anfield on Tuesday night. Alexis Mac Allister scored the decisive goal in the 61st minute, sending the stadium into euphoria. Although Liverpool were behind in possession for most of the match, they outclassed Los Blancos in attacking play. Out of 17 shots, they managed nine on target, while Real Madrid registered only two shots on goal from eight attempts. Luis Diaz both hero and villain against PSG as Bayern extend winning streak to 16 Despite suffering six defeats in their last eight matches across all competitions, Liverpool saw a dramatic shift in momentum right after kickoff. Xabi Alonso’s team were a distant second. Star players such as Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, and Vinícius Júnior were largely confined to the margins throughout the game. Only Thibaut Courtois’ commanding display prevented the home side from securing a more emphatic victory. For almost an hour, it seemed that Liverpool’s ghost from the 2022 Champions League final, Courtois, would haunt them again. The Belgian goalkeeper appeared to be a wall in front of the goal, denying Liverpool’s chances one after another like a superhuman. Courtois’ resistance was finally broken after Bellingham picked up a yellow card for fouling Ryan Gravenberch on the right. Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso termed that incident after the match “Real’s biggest failing on the night,” as it proved costly for the 15-time UCL holders. In the 61st minute, Szoboszlai delivered a powerful set piece into the box that connected perfectly with Mac Allister. The Argentine midfielder finally broke through the wall, his powerful header slipping between Courtois’ gloves and into the net, sending the packed Anfield crowd into celebration.

Kylian Mbappé struck twice as Real Madrid crushed Valencia 4-0 in their La Liga clash at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday night, extending their dominant run under Xabi Alonso. Vinícius Júnior missed a first-half penalty, but the Brazilian’s miss barely mattered on a night when his teammates dazzled. Jude Bellingham and Álvaro Carreras also found the net as Los Blancos continued their fine form in both attack and defense. Real were in complete control throughout the game, enjoying nearly 65 percent possession and firing 21 shots, 11 of which were on target. Valencia never came close to challenging Real, managing just four attempts, with only one troubling the goalkeeper. The result strengthened Real’s position at the top of the table with 30 points from 11 matches, including 10 victories. In another fixture of the day, Villarreal thumped Rayo Vallecano 4-0 to climb to second place with 23 points from 11 games, overtaking Barcelona. The Catalan giants, with one match in hand, slipped to third with 22 points. Real’s aggressive start paid off in the 19th minute when César Tárrega handled the ball inside the box. Mbappé, who missed a spot kick against Barcelona last week, made no mistake this time to give his team the lead and register a goal in his eighth consecutive La Liga appearance.