UCL 2024-25: Atletico thrashes Sparta Prague 6-0; AC Milan overcomes Slovan Bratislava

Diego Simeone’s Atletico dominated proceedings from early on at the Letna Stadion and opened the scoring in the 15th minute when Alvarez curled a free kick from the edge of the box into the top corner.

Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez celebrates scoring its first goal. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Argentina forward Julian Alvarez and substitute Angel Correa scored two goals each while Marcos Llorente and Antoine Griezmann added to the feast as Atletico Madrid thumped home side Sparta Prague 6-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Diego Simeone’s Atletico dominated proceedings from early on at the Letna Stadion and opened the scoring in the 15th minute when Alvarez curled a free kick from the edge of the box into the top corner.

Llorente extended the visitor’s lead just before the break with help from striker Alexander Sorloth, who played a clever dummy on his teammate’s cross that ended up evading everyone, including the goalkeeper, as it bounced in at the far post.

Alvarez scored the third in the 59th minute, finishing from close-range a brilliant run in a counterattack that he started in Atletico’s own half, before Griezmann and Correa twice struck late from inside the box.

Atletico is ninth in the 36-team Champions League table with nine points from five games while Sparta Prague is 28th with four points.

Milan overcomes Slovan Bratislava in 3-2 win

AC Milan’s Christian Pulisic celebrates scoring its first goal with teammates. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

AC Milan earned its third successive Champions League win with a 3-2 victory at Slovan Bratislava on Tuesday, hanging on after the home side scored a late goal.

The first half ended level with Milan’s Christian Pulisic opening the scoring in the 21st minute before a quick counter-attack led to Slovan’s Tigran Barseghyan equalising three minutes later.

Milan struggled to put Slovan away before substitute Rafael Leao put it back in front in the 68th minute and Tammy Abraham capitalised on a horror back-pass from David Strelec to extend its lead three minutes later.

Slovan pulled a goal back through Nino Marcelli in the 88th minute and also had Marko Tolic sent off late on, but Milan came through the late drama to move on to nine points while Slovan, with no points, remains rooted at the bottom of the standings.