When the UEFA Champions League league-phase draw was conducted by legends Gianluigi Buffon and Cristiano Ronaldo, Buffon jokingly remarked that the new format was designed to end Real Madrid’s dominance of the competition. What began as light-hearted banter has since taken on an uncanny edge, as the defending champions have struggled badly during the 2024/25 campaign.
However, Real Madrid’s difficulties were far from the only headline to emerge from matchday four. Arne Slot’s imperious Liverpool dismantled Bayer Leverkusen in ruthless fashion, while Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City suffered a third consecutive defeat across competitions.
3Sports highlights the major talking points from matchday four of the UEFA Champions League.
Real Madrid’s malfunctioning system could cost them dearly
Real Madrid continue to look far from their fluent best this season, with their 3–1 defeat to AC Milan on Tuesday night underlining deeper structural problems.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side were easily pulled apart, as Milan found ample space between the lines. One glaring example came when Aurélien Tchouaméni lost possession in midfield, allowing Tijjani Reijnders to release Rafael Leão, whose move ultimately led to Álvaro Morata scoring Milan’s second goal.
Madrid’s pressing was virtually non-existent. Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior failed to lead from the front, leaving Jude Bellingham isolated as he attempted—often unsuccessfully—to cover midfield duties while also making forward runs. Mbappé frequently dropped too deep, disrupting the attacking structure, while Bellingham was forced to abandon his natural role to compensate.
With just six points from a possible 12 and daunting away fixtures against Liverpool at Anfield and Atalanta still to come, the defending champions face a genuine risk of an early exit if urgent corrections are not made.
Monaco, Lille and Brest fly Ligue 1’s flag amid PSG struggles
French clubs have been among the standout performers of the league phase so far. Monaco maintained their perfect start with a 1–0 win over Bologna, adding to earlier victories against Barcelona and Red Star Belgrade. Lille were unfortunate not to take all three points after Jonathan David’s opener, only to be denied by a late Dusan Vlahovic penalty.
David has been in sensational form, scoring freely against elite opposition, including braces against both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid as Lille claimed maximum points in those fixtures.
Champions League debutants Brest have also been one of the tournament’s biggest surprises, collecting 10 points from four matches. At this early stage, Monaco sit third, Brest fourth, and Lille remain well-placed despite a single defeat.
These performances stand in stark contrast to Paris Saint-Germain, who—despite heavy summer spending following Mbappé’s departure—are struggling to impose themselves and are in danger of missing out on the knockout rounds altogether.
Arne Slot’s Liverpool machine continues to purr
Liverpool are rapidly establishing themselves as the team to beat in this season’s competition. Even when challenged, as seen in their weekend comeback win over Brighton, they rarely look like losing.
Their emphatic 4–0 demolition of Bayer Leverkusen at Anfield was a statement performance. Luis Díaz stole the headlines with his first Liverpool hat-trick, while Cody Gakpo added the fourth as Xabi Alonso endured a miserable return to his former club.
With four wins from four and a perfect record in the league phase, Slot’s side look balanced, ruthless, and tactically mature.
Liverpool’s Luis Diaz has scored two or more goals in three separate games this season
A ruthless Amorim offers Manchester United a glimpse of the future
Ruben Amorim’s Sporting CP produced one of the performances of the round, overturning a deficit to hammer Manchester City 4–1.
Victor Gyökeres was unplayable, scoring a hat-trick as City collapsed. Amorim’s calm demeanour, even after Erling Haaland missed a penalty that could have shifted momentum, caught the attention of Manchester United supporters eagerly awaiting their incoming manager.
With Amorim set to officially take charge at Old Trafford on November 11, United fans will feel encouraged by what they witnessed.
Manchester City stumble for the first time in years
For the first time in two years, Manchester City looked ordinary in the Champions League. Despite taking an early lead, they were comprehensively outplayed by Sporting CP.
Injuries to key players—including Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku—have taken their toll, with Guardiola revealing he had just 13 senior players available prior to their recent domestic defeat to Bournemouth.
City’s three consecutive losses across competitions mark their worst run in six years and raise questions as Guardiola approaches the final year of his contract.
Barcelona continue their relentless rise
Barcelona are operating at an extraordinary level. With 55 goals in 16 matches across all competitions and 15 goals in four Champions League games, they are Europe’s most potent attacking side.
Hansi Flick’s high line and aggressive pressing have been executed to near perfection, with over 100 offsides forced already this season. Defensively disciplined and devastating in attack, Barcelona look eerily similar to Flick’s treble-winning Bayern Munich side of 2019/20.
If they avoid self-sabotage, they may prove unstoppable.
Arsenal showing worrying signs of fatigue
Arsenal’s struggles away from home continued with a narrow 1–0 defeat to Inter Milan at the San Siro, leaving them 12th in the standings with seven points.
The loss followed defeats to Newcastle and a draw with Liverpool domestically, sparking concern among supporters. For a team aspiring to major honours, their repeated failures in high-pressure away fixtures point to lingering mental fragility.
Mikel Arteta now faces growing scrutiny as Arsenal’s quest to reclaim past glories threatens to stall once again.
