UEFA Champions League: Real Madrid’s Vinicius scores twice to stun Liverpool, Manchester City edge Borussia Dortmund with last-gasp Foden winner

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Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr scored twice as they punished a sloppy Liverpool side to win 3-1 at home in Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg match.
The 20-year-old Brazilian fired the 13-times European champions into the lead in the 27th minute at the Alfredo di Stefano stadium.
This was after controlling a long diagonal pass from Toni Kroos from his own half which flummoxed the Liverpool defence.
Marco Asensio put the hosts further at ease by scoring in the 35th minute after a Kroos pass again caused havoc among the visiting backline.
But Liverpool looked more settled after the interval and a scrappy Mohamed Salah strike pulled them back into contention early in the second half.
But they failed to build on their momentum and Vinicius struck again in the 63rd minute to repeat the scoreline of the 2018 Champions League final match.
The result thus puts Zinedine Zidane’s side in pole position for next week’s second leg at Anfield.
Meanwhile, Manchester City’s Phil Foden grabbed a last-minute winner as they defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in their 2020/2021 UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg match on Tuesday.
Foden’s goal was a saving grace after Marco Reus had netted a late equaliser for the German visitors.
Manchester City took a 19th minute lead with a classic counter-attacking move finished off by Kevin De Bruyne.
This was after Borussia Dortmund’s former Liverpool midfielder Emre Can had given the ball away on the halfway line.
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side then had a penalty kick awarded but correctly overturned by Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
This had come after a challenge by Can on Rodri.
Borussia Dortmund, buoyed by the reprieve, found some attacking verve.
Romanian referee, Ovidiu Hategan, was at the centre of things again when Manchester City’s goalkeeper Ederson hesitated and Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham nipped in.
He slotted the ball into the net, but the 17-year-old was harshly ruled to have fouled the Brazilian.
Ederson came to Manchester City’s rescue early in the second half, saving from Erling Haaland with an outstretched foot as the German side continued to cause them problems.
Manchester City had several chances to extend their lead, and they soon paid the price for their uncharacteristic lack of precision in front of goal.
Borussia Dortmund struck six minutes before the end, after Haaland’s clever pass on the half-turn found Marco Reus, who had timed his run perfectly.
He simply beat Ederson with a composed finish.
But then Foden, who had been wasteful twice in the second half, made amends with a clinical finish from close range after being set up by Ilkay Gundogan.

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