AC Milan stun Real Madrid, Sporting maul Man City in Champions League

AC Milan's Malick Thiaw, Alvaro Morata and Tijjani Reijnders all got on the scoresheet in a surprise 3-1 win against Real Madrid in the Champions League as the continental heavyweights clashed at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.

Thiaw gave seven-time European champions Milan the lead with a header from a corner in the 12th minute but Vinicius Jr equalised with a penalty 11 minutes later.

Morata put the visitors back in front by netting from a rebound in the 39th and Reijnders fired home a Rafael Leao cross after a counter attack to wrap up Milan's statement win over the lacklustre title holders.

Real are languishing in 17th place in the 36-team Champions League table with six points, one spot ahead of Milan on goal difference after four games.

After a deflating 4-0 home defeat by Barcelona over a week ago, Carlo Ancelotti's Real struggled again, looking like a shadow of the commanding side who finished last-season's campaign with a LaLiga and Champions League double.

The last time Real lost successive games in all competitions was over three years ago when they were beaten 2-1 by Sheriff Tiraspol in the Champions League in late September 2021 and lost by the same result to Espanyol in LaLiga five days later.

Elsewhere, Sporting marked the final home game of coach Ruben Amorim's reign in stunning fashion as Viktor Gyokeres' hat-trick saw them come from behind to thrash Manchester City 4-1 and maintain their superb start to the Champions League.

The Portuguese league leaders were outplayed for most of the first half and should have trailed by more than Phil Foden's early goal, but Gyokeres levelled before the break.

City were caught cold at the start of the second period as Maximiliano Araujo finished a flowing move straight from the kickoff, before Gyokeres put Sporting further ahead minutes later from the penalty spot.

Erling Haaland had the chance to drag City back into the game but struck the crossbar with a penalty before Gyokeres wrapped it up for the hosts with another spot kick to send the Estadio Jose Alvalade crowd into raptures.

Amorim, who will take over as Manchester United manager on November 11, leaves Sporting in a fantastic position in the Champions League group phase with 10 points from four games. City's first defeat leaves them on seven points.

All eyes were on Amorim before kickoff after he accepted United's offer to take over from the sacked Erik Ten Hag.

The highly-rated 39-year-old has landed two Portuguese titles in four years with Sporting and they have started this season's domestic championship with 10 wins from 10 games.

Up against City's master tactician Pep Guardiola, however, he was given an uncomfortable taste of what he can expect in the Premier League during a first half in which his side could have been blown away by an injury-hit City side.