Champions League: Barcelona thrash Bayern, Liverpool stay perfect

NEW DELHI: Barcelona triumphed over Bayern Munich with a 4-1 win in the Champions League on Wednesday, led by Raphinha's hat-trick and a goal from Robert Lewandowski. The clash between five-time winners Barca and six-time champions Bayern saw Barcelona dominate. Harry Kane equalized following Barca's first-minute goal but could not prevent Bayern's second defeat in three outings in the Champions League.
Raphinha, who scored three goals, expressed his joy, stating, "In my opinion, this game could have been a (Champions League) final, to be able to win it in this way, so well, in front of our fans, is quite special and I leave here happy." The victory placed Barcelona in the top half of the table with two wins, while Bayern remains in the bottom half.

Manchester City secured a 5-0 win over Sparta Prague, with Erling Haaland scoring twice. City manager Pep Guardiola praised Haaland's acrobatic backheel goal, saying, "It's unbelievable. He's a statue. So tall and so flexible."

Liverpool recorded a narrow 1-0 win at RB Leipzig, with Darwin Nunez scoring the decisive goal from a Mohamed Salah assist. Liverpool manager Arne Slot commented, "We controlled the game in large parts apart from the last few minutes." Liverpool's goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher made crucial saves in the second half to maintain the lead.
Other results included Lille's 3-1 win over Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen's 1-1 draw with Brest, Inter Milan's late 1-0 victory over Young Boys, Feyenoord's 3-1 away win against Benfica, Atalanta's goalless draw with Celtic, and Dinamo Zagreb's 2-0 win against 10-man RB Salzburg.