In the third round of the Champions League group stage, English heavyweights delivered a thrilling display of attacking football. Manchester City comfortably dispatched Greek side AEK, while Liverpool engaged in a goal fest against Spanish outfit Villarreal.
Enzo Maresca's team put on a dominant display at the Etihad, thrashing AEK 5-1. The hosts secured a comfortable two-goal lead by the end of the first half. Though the Greeks attempted to mount a resurgence with a goal from Stavros Pilios after the break, there was never any real prospect of a comeback.
Phil Foden was the star of the match, netting a stunning hat-trick, with Anderson and Ryan Cherki also getting on the scoresheet. This emphatic victory saw Manchester City move onto 6 points in the group. They will be heading to RB Leipzig in early November, while AEK will face Real Madrid at home.
Meanwhile, at Anfield, fans were treated to a real football thriller as Liverpool secured a hard-fought 4-3 triumph over Villarreal. The visitors began with a flourish, with Georges Mikautadze capitalising on a mistake from Virgil van Dijk, swiftly followed by Sergio Cardona doubling Villarreal's advantage.
However, the Merseysiders quickly turned the tide of the game. Alexis Mac Allister scored twice, while Ronald Araujo and Florian Wirtz pushed Liverpool ahead. A late goal from Tani Oluwaseyi brought the guests back within one, but they ran out of steam in the final moments. With a perfect record of 9 points after three matches, Liverpool will next host Fenerbahce, while Villarreal will meet PSG.
