The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League: Key Moments and Standout Performances from UCL Round 4

It was an exhilarating fourth week of the UEFA Champions League group stage. Europe’s top clubs continued to fight for top spots in the newly introduced League phase of the competition. Each fixture saw a lot of drama, surprises, and standout performances. From late-game heroics, hat tricks, and unstoppable goals to tactical masterpieces, Week 4 delivered a reminder of the intense competition and unpredictability of the most competitive tournament in Europe.

As we head toward the final group games, let’s break down the highlights, player performances, and what these results mean for the road to the knockout stages.

AC MILAN RUN RIOT AT THE BERNABEU

Real Madrid’s first match since their 4-0 defeat to Barcelona at home was another disaster as the defending champions were beaten 3-1 by AC Milan. The two most successful clubs in the competition faced off at the Santiago Bernabeu after struggling in the last three fixtures. Carlo Ancelotti’s side got off to a tough start conceding within the first 15 minutes as Malick Thiaw scored with a header. Vinicius Junior’s penalty midway through the first half sparked hopes of a comeback for Los Blancos. Still, the crowd was left in shock when former Real striker Alvaro Morata restored Milan’s lead just before halftime.

The drama continued for the 83,000 fans as Tijjani Reijnders scored from a well-executed Milan play to extend the visitors’ lead with less than 20 minutes left. Milan nearly added more, with Rafael Leao forcing a brilliant save from Andriy Lunin and hitting the post from a corner. Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe missed a prime chance for Real Madrid to get back into the game. Late in the game, Antonio Rudiger’s goal from a set piece was overturned for offside after a lengthy VAR review. Mike Maignan made several key saves during injury time to keep the scores desame and earn Rossoneri all three points.

The home crowd expressed their frustration, booing at halftime and erupting in louder jeers when referee Slavko Vincic blew the final whistle. This second consecutive home loss adds to Real’s woes, while a strong Milan performance brings relief to Fonseca and lifts his side to equal points with Real in the standings, trailing only on goal difference. Sitting at the bottom half with 6 points each, both teams will need to go hard on their remaining UCL fixtures for a chance to make it to the knockout stages.

GYOKERES’S HATTRICK HANDS PEP GLADIOLA’S SIDE FIRST UCL DEFEAT

Sporting Lisbon staged a comeback to defeat Manchester City 4-1 at the Jose Alvalade Stadium. Ruben Amorim oversaw the home side’s Champions League game for the last time before assuming his new role as Manchester United’s head coach following the sacking of Erik Ten Hag. Last season’s EPL Player of the Season – Phil Foden gave City an ideal start with an early goal in the fourth minute, but Viktor Gyokeres equalized just before halftime and later netted two more goals from the penalty spot to complete his hat-trick. Erling Haaland had a chance to close the gap, but his penalty hit the crossbar when City trailed 3-1. 

This win pushes Sporting to second place in the Champions League group with 10 points from four games, while City drops to tenth with seven points. Pep Guardiola’s side also extends their losing streak to three matches in all competitions, following defeats to Bournemouth in the Premier League and Tottenham in the League Cup. They are still in a position to secure a spot in the last 16 but will fight hard in their next four games to get an advantage in the next phase. Sporting Lisbon will be without Ruben Amorim in their remaining games, hopefully, they maintain the dominant momentum they’ve shown so far.

LIVERPOOL TRASH HIGH-FLYING LEVERKUSEN

Luis Diaz scored Liverpool’s first hat trick as the Reds beat Xabi Alonso’s side 4-0 at Anfield. The two clubs came into the fixture unbeaten in the UCL, but the German side could only keep Arne Slot’s side from scoring in the first forty-five minutes.

Diaz and Gakpo were on the scoresheet in the second half as Liverpool claimed maximum points from the encounter. The Reds have only lost once in the EPL since the start of the season and are now clear favorites to make the final eight. They also sit at the top spot in the UCL standings. Bayern Leverkusen will return from this defeat in the next round to claim maximum points in a bid to reach the peak of European football.

PSV EINDHOVEN PUT FOUR OVER GIRONA

PSV won their first victory in the 2024/25 UCL campaign over Girona. Ryan Flamingo, Malik Tilman, and Johan Bakayoko were on the scoresheet to give Peter Bosz’s side a 4-0 victory over the Spanish side. The Spanish side played the last 35+ minutes of the game with 10 men following Arnau Martinez’s second yellow in the game. Both teams still sit in a volatile position with the Spanish side outside the playoff’s position. The next four games will be decisive to show their trajectory in the UCL this season.

BARCELONA EXTEND WINNING STREAK IN 7-GOAL THRILLER

FC Barcelona added to their impressive form away to FK Crvena Zvezda on Wednesday night in the Champions League. Hansi Flick’s side dominated most of the game and handed the Serbian side a 5-2 defeat in their own backyard. Inaki Martinez, Raphinha, Fermin Lopez, and Ledwandoski’s brace were enough to give the Catalans maximum points. Milson’s last-minute goal was a consolation to the home fans who have grown more frustrated in their Champions League encounters this season.

Barcelona moved to sixth place in the League’s standings and will surely solidify their place in the playoffs or Round of 16 with at least five points from their final four games. Crvena Zvezda lies at the bottom of the standings with zero points from four games and will need to pull off a miracle to get into a playoff position.

ATLETICO BEAT PSG AT PARC DES PRINCES

In another Round 4 encounter, Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid beat PSG in a fierce encounter. Les Bleus started the game on a positive note and W. Zaire-Emery put the Parisians in front in the 14th minute of the game. Their lead didn’t last long as Nahuel Molina equalized four minutes later to keep the scores level at halftime.

Despite all efforts from Luis Enrique’s side to claim victory in home tuff, Angel Correa’s stoppage-time goal erupted the stadium and handed the victory to Spanish visitors, who still struggle to hold a firm playoff spot. PSG is away from a qualification or playoff spot in the standings and would need to do more in their games against Bayern Munich and Salzburg to a good finish in the standings.

OTHER ROUND 4 RESULTS:

SK Slovan Bratislava 1-4 Dinamo Zagreb  

Bologna 0-1 Monaco 

Borussia Dortmund 1-0 Sturm Graz 

Celtic 3-1 RB Leipzig  

Lille 1-1 Juventus    

Club Brugge 1-0 Aston Villa

Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 BSC Young Boys Bern

Bayern Munich 1-0 Benfica

Feyenoord 1-3 Red Bull Salzburg 

Inter Milan 1-0 Arsenal

Sparta Prague 1-2 Brest 

Stuttgart 0-2 Atalanta

Before the end of 2024, two more rounds of 36 games will be played across Europe’s elite stages. The first would be the week after November’s international break, while the next will feature two weeks after. Here is a list of upcoming UCL games this year;

Tuesday, 26th November

SK Slovan Bratislava vs AC Milan — 17:45  

Sparta Prague vs Atletico Madrid — 17:45  

BSC Young Boys Bern vs Atalanta — 20:00  

Barcelona vs Brest — 20:00  

Bayer Leverkusen vs Red Bull Salzburg — 20:00  

Bayern Munich vs Paris Saint-Germain — 20:00  

Inter Milan vs RB Leipzig — 20:00  

Manchester City vs Feyenoord — 20:00  

Sporting Lisbon vs Arsenal — 20:00  

Wednesday, 27th November

Crvena Zvezda vs Stuttgart — 17:45  

Sturm Graz vs Girona — 17:45  

Aston Villa vs Juventus — 20:00  

Bologna vs Lille — 20:00  

Celtic vs Club Brugge — 20:00  

Dinamo Zagreb vs Borussia Dortmund — 20:00  

Liverpool vs Real Madrid — 20:00  

Monaco vs Benfica — 20:00  

PSV Eindhoven vs Shakhtar Donetsk — 20:00  

Tuesday, 10th December

Dinamo Zagreb vs Celtic — 17:45  

Girona vs Liverpool — 17:45  

Atalanta vs Real Madrid — 20:00  

Bayer Leverkusen vs Inter Milan — 20:00  

Brest vs PSV Eindhoven — 20:00  

Club Brugge vs Sporting Lisbon — 20:00  

RB Leipzig vs Aston Villa — 20:00  

Red Bull Salzburg vs Paris Saint-Germain — 20:00  

Shakhtar Donetsk vs Bayern Munich — 20:00  

Wednesday, 11th December

Atletico Madrid vs SK Slovan Bratislava — 17:45  

Lille vs Sturm Graz — 17:45  

AC Milan vs Crvena Zvezda — 20:00  

Arsenal vs Monaco — 20:00  

Benfica vs Bologna — 20:00  

Borussia Dortmund vs Barcelona — 20:00  

Feyenoord vs Sparta Prague — 20:00  

Juventus vs Manchester City — 20:00  

Stuttgart vs BSC Young Boys Bern — 20:00

GET CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL TICKETS!

Ensure you mark your calendar, as the upcoming weeks of UCL football will be electrifying. Be Live at the Action by reserving your seats to the games. Get Champions League Final Tickets while they are still available and avoid missing out, getting scammed, or being cheated while purchasing these tickets. Official websites are “Sold Out” due to high demand for these tickets, and secondary marketplaces remain your Go-to spot for securing a place for you and your loved ones in the games you love.