Champions League Wrap: Real Madrid escape with draw against Brugge


Casemiro's header five minutes from time spared Real Madrid from an ignominious Champions League defeat as they came from two goal down to snatch a 2-2 draw against 10-man Club Brugge.

Humbled 3-0 by Paris St Germain in their Group A opener, the 13-time European champions trailed by two goals at the halfway stage following a peculiar brace from 21-year-old forward Emmanuel Dennis.

The Nigerian made a hash of the opener after nine minutes, failing to control the ball before it bounced off his leg and trickled into the net, with the goal awarded after initially being chalked off for offside.

Dennis then broke free in the 39th minute after dispossessing Luka Modric and regained his composure after threatening to stumble to lift over Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who was substituted at half-time.

However, Sergio Ramos halved the deficit after 55 minutes when he headed home from Karim Benzema's centre, the technology coming to Real's aid this time after the assistant referee's flag had gone up again.

Ruud Vormer was sent off for a second bookable offence and from the subsequent free-kick, Casemiro directed Toni Kroos' teasing ball past former Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, depriving Brugge of a famous win.

While Real are currently sitting top of LaLiga, they are at the foot of their group, where PSG are top after making it two wins from two later in the evening by edging out Galatasaray 1-0.

Mauro Icardi bagged his first PSG goal since joining on loan from Inter Milan, with the Argentinian left with the simplest of tap-ins seven minutes after the resumption when he was teed up by Pablo Sarabia.

In Group B Tottenham were humiliated by Bayern Munich, losing 7-2, while Red Star Belgrade jumped to second in the standings after coming from behind to defeat 10-man Olympiacos 3-1.

Ruben Semedo put Olympiacos ahead but bookings either side of the interval for Yassine Benzia reduced the visitors to 10 men, and substitute Milos Vulic scored not long afterwards.

Late headers from Nemanja Milunovic and Richmond Boakye gave Red Star all three points.

Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden both came off the bench to score in the second half as Manchester City maintained their 100 per cent winning start to Group C with a 2-0 victory over Dinamo Zagreb.

Elsewhere in the group, Manor Solomon scored in the fifth minute of stoppage time to steer Shakhtar Donetsk to a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Atalanta.

Gonzalo Higuain scored one goal and made another, while Cristiano Ronaldo added the third, as Juventus cruised to a 3-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen to go top of Group D.

Higuain exploited a disastrous attempt at a headed clearance by Jonathan Tah in the 17th minute, taking a touch before thumping the ball into the bottom left-hand corner to leave goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky no chance.

With Leverkusen enjoying plenty of possession but creating precious little in front of goal, Higuain turned provider in the second half, whipping in a low cross from the left for Federico Bernardeschi to sweep home Juve's second.

Ronaldo had a frustrating night in attack but after uncharacteristically missing some decent second-half chances, he slotted the ball through Hradecky's legs to make it 3-0 in the 88th minute.

Elsewhere in Group D Atletico Madrid defeated Lokomotiv Moscow 2-0 thanks to Joao Felix and Thomas Partey. 

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