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The first half of Matchday 6 in the Champions League delivered surprises ahead of the final 180 minutes of group play. In Girona, there were no shocks as Liverpool, despite what coach Arne Slot called "one of their worst performances of the season," still managed to secure a win. A second-half penalty from Salah sealed a sixth straight victory, putting the Reds on the verge of qualifying for the Round of 16.
Behind Liverpool, the race for second place has intensified following Inter’s first defeat of the season. Inzaghi’s side fell 1-0 at Leverkusen, conceding their first Champions League goal in the 90th minute through Mukiele. The loss allowed Bayer Leverkusen to pull level on points with Inter at 13, along with surprise package Brest, which beat PSV, and Aston Villa, who won a thriller against Leipzig—the first officially eliminated team this season.
Bayern Munich cruised to a 5-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk, climbing to eighth place pending the remaining fixtures. The Bavarians leapfrogged Atalanta, who suffered a dramatic home defeat to Real Madrid.
Gasperini's side dominated much of the match after going down early to a 10th-minute Mbappé goal. De Ketelaere’s penalty in first-half stoppage time seemed to revive Atalanta, but bad luck struck again after the break. Lookman’s goal reignited hopes, but Retegui missed a golden opportunity from point-blank range in the 94th minute, blasting over the potential 3-3 equalizer. The victory keeps Real Madrid’s knockout hopes alive, though they’ll need six points from their final two games.
Club Brugge also delivered a critical comeback win over Sporting Lisbon, pushing both teams to 10 points and enhancing their chances of finishing in the top 24. The first half of Matchday 6 concluded with a goalless draw between Dinamo Zagreb and Celtic, leaving both sides with work to do in the coming fixtures.
