Liverpool took advantage of an Atlético de Madrid too diminished by absences and reduced to ten in the first period to ensure its presence in the knockout stages of the Champions League with undeniable success (2-0) against the Madrilenians.
With 12 points and two more games to play in the group stage, the Reds can no longer be joined by Porto (5 points), Atlético (4 points) or AC Milan (1 point).
They are even assured of the first place before the last two days.
Despite the first leg victory (3-2), the Reds were keen to erase the memory of the elimination in the round of 16 of C1 in March 2020 against the same opponent.
A 𝒃𝒐𝒔𝒔 way to mark your 50th #UCL game in charge of the Reds!
🤩 pic.twitter.com/7o68AK80RD
- Liverpool FC (@LFC) November 3, 2021
Applied, invigorating and realistic, they left no chance for a team that posed them few problems.
With Thomas Lemar, Antoine Griezmann, Diego Llorente and Stevan Savic injured or suspended, the Colchoneros did not have the weapons to compete.
Felipe's expulsion in the 36th minute didn't help.
Madrid will have to whip during the last two days to hope to go in 8th.
Fortunately for the Madrid club, the other meeting of the evening in this group B saw its competitors for the qualification neutralized.
AC Milan, back in C1 after a long absence, could not do better than a 1-1 draw against Porto.
Milan can therefore still maintain a slim hope of qualifying.
Dortmund humiliated on his home ground
Another club is also already qualified for the round of 16 and it is another former winner: Ajax Amsterdam can already look forward to 2022 after their 3-1 victory in Dortmund.
The Dutch club won thanks in particular to a decisive new goal from Franco-Ivorian center forward Sébastien Haller, his seventh in the competition.
Ajax (12 points), author of a clear round over the first four days, was also well helped by the early exclusion of German defender Mats Hummels, guilty of a tackle a little too committed (29th ).
In Group C, the qualifying place should be played between Dortmund (6 points), still deprived of its prodigy striker Erling Haaland due to injury, and Sporting Portugal (6 points), wide winner of Besiktas 4-0.
This evening was also historic for another club: Real Madrid.
Thanks to Karim Benzema, the club with 13 trophies in the competition scored its 1000th goal in the Champions League since its baptism in 1956. "Proud of my team, I will continue to write the history of my club", reacted Benzema on Twitter.
Proud of my team and i will continue to write the history of my club 🤍 # 1000 #halamadridynadamas #Alhamdulilah pic.twitter.com/puPbFtUL4m
- Karim Benzema (@Benzema) November 3, 2021
Thanks to the French, author of a double, Real avoided a new disillusionment with Shakhtar Donetsk and won 2-1.
Benzema only had to push into the net a ball snatched by Vinicius in the feet of Marlon in the opposing area (14th) before Fernando's equalizer for the Ukrainians, shortly before the break (39th).
The Sheriff falls into line
Struggled by Shakhtar like last season, the Madrilenians however got away this time thanks to a jewel of collective goal in the second period: Vinicius, again, offered himself a one-two with Casemiro before serving Benzema at the penalty spot (61st).
With this double, the French international allowed the club merengue to score its 1000th and 1001st goals in C1, becoming the only formation in Europe to cross this bar: far behind Real are Bayern Munich (763) and FC Barcelona, with 654 goals scored in the queen of competitions.
After this double, Benzema left 20 minutes before the end of the match, visibly injured: “It's just a blow, and a little fatigue, but it will pass.
I will recover well for the game on Saturday.
We play every three days, it's a bit difficult, it's a lot of high-level games.
The most important are the 3 points, even if, sometimes, we do not play well, ”reassures the international tricolor.
With this admittedly narrow success, Real took the opportunity to settle alone at the top of its group with 9 points, approaching the round of 16 and overtaking the modest Sheriff Tiraspol (6 pts), back in line against Inter Milan (7 pts) (defeat 3-1).
