Hugo Ekitike scored against his former club as Liverpool roared back to form with a 5-1 win at Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday, while Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich also claimed emphatic victories.
Liverpool entered the match desperate to end a four-game losing streak — including a 1-0 defeat to Galatasaray in Europe — but responded with a commanding performance after initially falling behind.
Rasmus Kristensen gave Frankfurt the lead, only for Ekitike to level against his old side following his £79 million summer move to Anfield.
Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté both struck from corners before halftime, with Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai adding goals after the break to complete a morale-boosting win that lifted Liverpool into 10th place in the 36-team league phase.
“I don’t know if it’s a statement, but it’s a win and something to build on,” Van Dijk told TNT Sports.
Kane, Chelsea Among Big Winners
At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea also ran out 5-1 winners over Ajax in a match featuring three first-half penalties and three teenage scorers — a first in Champions League history.
Ajax captain Kenneth Taylor saw red early on, and Marc Guiu, Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernández, and Estevão all found the net before halftime, with Tyrique George adding a fifth after the break.
“We trust a lot of young players,” said Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca. “That’s the club’s strategy — both the ones we buy and those from our academy.”
Bayern Munich maintained their perfect record as Harry Kane bagged his 20th goal of the season in a 4-0 win over Club Brugge, joined on the scoresheet by 17-year-old Lennart Karl, Luis Díaz, and Nicolas Jackson.
Real Madrid also made it three wins from three after Jude Bellingham netted his first goal of the season in a 1-0 triumph over Juventus at the Bernabéu. “It was a tough game, but an important win against a big team,” said goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Elsewhere, Tottenham were held 0-0 by Monaco, while Sporting Lisbon edged Marseille 2-1 after Geny Catamo and Alisson Santos struck following Emerson Palmieri’s red card.
Victor Osimhen continued his fine form with a brace in Galatasaray’s 3-1 win over Bodo/Glimt, and Athletic Bilbao came from behind to defeat Qarabag 3-1 at San Mamés.
Atalanta and Slavia Prague drew 0-0 in the night’s other fixture. The next Champions League round will feature headline clashes between PSG and Bayern, and Liverpool and Real Madrid.
