The Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol pulled off a remarkable 2-1 win away against Real Madrid in the Champions League, snatching a shock victory thanks to a sensational 89th-minute strike from Sebastien Thill.
The competition debutants Sheriff went ahead against the 13-time European champions in the 25th minute with a header from the Uzbek midfielder Jasurbek Yakhshiboev, who narrowly missed a chance to double the visitors’ lead later in the first half.
Real dominated the play in both halves but needed a penalty to draw level. Karim Benzema buried his spot-kick in the top corner in the 65th minute after Vinícius Júnior was felled and awarded a penalty following a VAR review, having been denied a spot-kick after a previous review moments earlier.
The Real substitute Luka Jovic spurned a great chance to win it for the hosts but Sheriff quickly got down the other end and following a throw in the ball fell to the Luxembourg midfielder Thill, who unleashed a lethal shot into the far top corner to send his side top of the group.
Shakhtar Donetsk and Internazionale battled to a drab 0-0 draw and the outcome did neither side any favours as it left both on one point from the opening two games. Shakhtar, who were cheered on by Ukraine’s newly crowned world heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk, had more possession but Inter missed the best chances with Edin Dzeko and Lautaro Martínez guilty of poor finishing.
Luis Suárez’s last-gasp penalty and Antoine Griezmann’s first goal since returning to Atlético Madrid earned the Spanish side a 2-1 victory against 10-man Milan. Griezmann, who rejoined Atlético last month on a season-long loan from Barcelona, pounced in the 84th minute to level before Suárez grabbed Atlético their first win in this season’s competition in the 97th minute. Elsewhere in Group B, Liverpool beat Porto 5-1.
Club Brugge fought back from an early goal down to post an unexpected 2-1 win at RB Leipzig. Leipzig got off to a quick start when Christopher Nkunku scored after being set free on goal by Emil Forsberg. The fifth-minute goal was initially ruled offside, but the decision was overturned by VAR. Hans Vanaken and Mats Rits scored to take Brugge level on four points with Paris Saint-Germain, who beat Manchester City.
Steven Berghuis scored one goal and set up another as Ajax were comfortable 2-0 winners over injury-hit Besiktas in their Group C clash at the Johan Crujff Arena. Sébastien Haller added a second goal for the home team, who spurned a number of other opportunities and never looked unduly troubled against a visiting side missing a host of first-team regulars.
In the other fixture in the group, Borussia Dortmund beat Sporting 1-0 thanks to Donyell Malen’s first goal for the club. Dortmund struck with their first real chance when 22-year-old Dutch international Malen completed a quick three-pass move across the entire pitch with a well-placed low shot in the 37th minute for what was also his first ever Champions League goal.