Liverpool celebrated their return to the Champions League after a year’s absence with a 3-1 victory over AC Milan at San Siro on Tuesday, overcoming a shaky start with goals from Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai.
Liverpool got off to an awful start in the battle between the two European heavyweights when Christian Pulisic fired Milan in front from a quick counter-attack in the third minute, aided by Liverpool’s disorganised defending.
The six-times champions turned things around, however, and dominated for much of the remainder of the game, with Konate equalising in the 23rd minute when he leapt high above a crowd of defenders to head in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s free kick.
Skipper Van Dijk put Liverpool ahead to the delight of some 4,400 travelling fans when he nodded home Kostas Tsimikas’ corner just before halftime. Szoboszlai sealed the victory in the 67th minute, slotting into the far corner from Cody Gakpo’s cross after Milan gave up possession.
The night marked coach Arne Slot’s first Champions League game at the helm of the Merseyside club since he replaced Juergen Klopp, and it was a terrific response from his team after their shock 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday.
Record-breaking Kane scores four goals as Bayern crush Dinamo Zagreb 9-2
Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane scored four goals to lead his side to a 9-2 demolition of visitors Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League on Tuesday and became the highest scoring English player in the competition’s history with 33 goals.
In a game that set a record for most goals in a Champions League match, Bayern struck three times in the first half with Kane, who scored a hat-trick in their Bundesliga win over Holstein Kiel on Saturday, converting a 19th minute penalty.
Raphael Guerreiro drilled home from a superb Jamal Musiala assist in the 33rd and Michael Olise added another five minutes later.
The Croats then scored twice in two minutes through Bruno Petkovic in the 49th and Takuya Ogiwara in the 50th, hoping to find a way back but Bayern responded with two of their own in four minutes — through Kane and Olise — to restore order.
England captain Kane bagged his third and fourth goals with penalties in the 73rd and 78th while Leroy Sane added another in the 85th before fellow substitute Leon Goretzka headed in their record-breaking ninth – the most scored in the competition.
Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane scored four goals to lead his side to a 9-2 demolition of visitors Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday and a record for the most goals by one team in a Champions League match after a scintillating performance.
Bayern struck three times in the first half with Kane converting a 19th minute penalty before becoming the highest scoring English player in European Cup history with 33 goals, breaking Wayne Rooney’s mark of 30.
Kane, who scored three goals against Holstein Kiel in the Bundesliga on Saturday, also became the first player to score a hat-trick of penalties in a European Cup match.
The game had the second-biggest winning margin in Champions League history, with Liverpool and Real Madrid holding the record with 8-0 wins.
Borussia Dortmund’s 8-4 win over Legia Warsaw in 2016 is the record for most goals overall in a Champions League match.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever had three penalties in one game,” said Kane. “It was a different feeling for me, but to score four goals is fantastic.”
“To help the team in any way possible is important. Whether they’re penalties or normal finishes I’ll take them all. It was a great night for us.”
DETERMINED BAYERN
Bayern are eager to bounce back after failing to win any domestic or international silverware last season.
“Everyone has a point to prove here and we’ve started the season that way,” Kane said. “The way the coach wants us to press and be intense with and without the ball is important. We know we can dominate teams with the quality we have.”
With Zagreb completely boxed in, Raphael Guerreiro, who had earlier put the ball in the net only to be ruled offside, drilled home from a superb Jamal Musiala assist in the 33rd and Michael Olise added another five minutes later.
The Croats briefly recovered by making the most of some sloppy defending with goals from Bruno Petkovic in the 49th and Takuya Ogiwara a minute later to give themselves some hope.
It was, however, short-lived with Bayern, who hope to reach this season’s final to be played in Munich, upping the tempo instantly and scoring two more in a four-minute span through Kane and Olise to restore order.
In coach Vincent Kompany’s Champions League debut on the bench, England captain Kane bagged his third and fourth goals with penalties in the 73rd and 78th.
Thomas Mueller also set a record with his 152nd Champions League appearance for Bayern, breaking Xavi’s mark at Barcelona for the most matches in the competition with one club.
Substitutes Leroy Sane and Leon Goretzka also got on the scoresheet with late goals as Bayern opened their Champions League campaign in devastating fashion.
Results in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday:
Juventus (2) 3 PSV (0) 1
Young Boys (0) 0 Aston Villa (2) 3
Bayern München (3) 9 Dinamo Zagreb (0) 2
Milan (1) 1 Liverpool (2) 3
Sporting CP (1) 2 Lille (0) 0
Real Madrid (0) 3 Stuttgart (0) 1
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