Tuesday’s Champions League Recap

Tuesday’s Champions League action produced some of the most unexpected outcomes and marked some historic moments.

Let’s take a look at what happened in Europe’s most prestigious club competition today.

AC Milan suffer another second-half heartbreak

AC Milan and Atletico Madrid squared off at the San Siro in an enthralling Champions League fixture on Tuesday, as Los Rojiblancos came from behind to seal a 2-1 victory.

Rafel Leao’s sublime 20th-minute finish handed the Rossoneri a well-deserved lead, but Milan’s celebration was short-lived as Franck Kessie picked up a red card on the hour-mark.

Forced to defend a slender lead against Diego Simeone’s star-studded team for over an hour, Stefano Pioli’s side looked doomed from the moment the Ivorian received the marching orders.

However, Milan managed to hold their ground for almost the entire match before second-half substitute Antoine Griezmann drew Atletico level in the 84th minute.

After the Frenchman scored his first goal for Los Colchoneros since returning from Barcelona in the summer, Luis Suarez broke his ‘away Champions League jinx’ to give the Spaniards the precious three points.

The Uruguay international slotted home a last-gasp penalty to complete the turnaround and get Atletico off the mark in Group B.

Meanwhile, Milan had the ‘Anfield night’ deja vu. Indeed, the Italians allowed a half-time lead to slip through their fingers in the second half, as they did against Liverpool on Matchday 1.

Lionel Messi strikes against Pep Guardiola again to open his PSG account

Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City locked horns in a blockbuster Champions League showdown at the Parc des Princes in Lionel Messi’s home debut for PSG in Europe’s elite competition.

Les Parisiens took an early lead through Idrissa Gueye, who pounced on a loose ball inside the box and hammered it past Ederson to put his side in front eight minutes into the game.

Though the action was back and forth inside the first 45 minutes of play, it was Man City who had the best chance to get on the scoresheet before half-time.

Bernardo Silva latched onto the rebound inside the six-yard box, but he inexplicably failed to turn it in the empty net just before the half-hour mark.

And when the Citizens failed to capitalize on their relentless pressure, Lionel Messi stole the show to break his PSG duck and lit the Parc des Princes up.

The Argentine wizard exchanged a delightful one-two with Kylian Mbappe before sending his outrageous first-time effort into Ederson’s top-right corner to put daylight between the sides in the 74th minute.

Messi has now scored seven goals in his five Champions League appearances against teams managed by his former boss Pep Guardiola, taking his overall tally in the competition to 121.

Sheriff Tiraspol write one of the most romantic Champions League stories

Real Madrid will be desperate to forget their first Champions League match at the Santiago Bernabeu in over a year after being put to the sword by Moldovan minnows Sheriff Tiraspol.

The competition debutants wrote one of the most breathtaking storylines in the recent Champions League history by beating the 13-time European champions 2-1 on hostile turf.

Uzbek forward Jasurbek Yakhshiboev stunned the home supporters in the 25th minute, placing his towering header beyond Thibaut Courtois’ reach to give Sheriff an unexpected lead.

Los Blancos’ unrelenting efforts to bring things back to ‘normal’ paid off in the 64th, as Karim Benzema converted a spot-kick after Vinicius Junior was brought down to the ground inside the visitors’ 18-yard box.

And when it seemed that Carlo Ancelotti’s men are on course of breaking down a spirited Sheriff side, Sebastien Thill’s devastating first-time shot from outside the box ended up in Courtois’ top-right corner.

The Luxembourg international’s late screamer handed the Moldovan champions a stunning second win from two matches to retain the top spot in Group D.

Madrid slipped to the second with three points, ahead of Shakhtar Donetsk and Inter Milan, who shared the spoils in an uneventful goalless draw in Ukraine earlier this evening.