Borussia Dortmund head coach Nuri Sahin was delighted with his side's 3-0 victory away to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League on Wednesday.
The result was Dortmund's first away victory in seven matches in all competitions and left them fourth in the 36-team Champions League table, three points behind leaders Liverpool.
"To win away from home is something that feels great," Dortmund coach Nuri Sahin told a press conference.
"It is important for the table, for our morale. It was not an easy game but we let the ball roll and after the 1-0 we became even more dominant. Now we need to keep working."
Dortmund dominated the match against Dinamo, registering an xG of 1.75 compared to the hosts' 0.13, while they also had over 70% of the ball and 17 shots compared to five.
Sahin was pleased with the way his side managed to break down stubborn opposition, who sat deep during the game.
“We have played two really good matches now and we remained patient today against a very deep opponent. The players kept their positions, moved the ball well and deserved it," he said.
"Deep defence was not the big problem, rather it was related to the field. If we had been on good grass, we would have had more chances."
Dortmund have now won four of their last five matches in all competitions and will hope to take that form into their match against Bayern Munich on Saturday.
Sahin, though, did not want to shift focus too quickly from what was a pleasing night.
"I look forward to that game [against Bayern] but I want to enjoy the evening tonight with my boys and from Thursday the focus will be on Bayern," he said.
Ferdinand claims 'Rottweilers' Liverpool are the 'best team in Europe'
Rio Ferdinand believes Liverpool are the “best team in Europe” after they comfortably defeated Real Madrid at Anfield 2-0 on Wednesday.
The Premier League leaders earned the three points through two second-half goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo, while Kylian Mbappe missed a penalty that would have put the visitors level.
Liverpool became just the fifth side to win their opening five games of the Champions League campaign and concede no more than one goal in the process, after Milan (92/93), Juventus (04/05), Atletico Madrid (16/17) and PSG (17/18).
It left Ferdinand impressed with Arne Slot’s influence as he praised his side's tenacity.
"They have put the gauntlet down to all the other teams in Europe. They look like the best team in Europe at the moment," he told TNT Sports.
"They are playing as a team; they look like they have the hungriest individuals about. They are not only getting the results, but they look starving.
"They look like they haven’t been fed for ages. He’s sending them out like Rottweilers on the pitch, hunting teams down.”
Liverpool demonstrably outperformed Real Madrid to go top of the league phase in the Champions League with 15 points.
They racked up an expected goals (xG) total of 2.73 compared to Real Madrid’s 1.22 xG, taking 17 shots compared to the visitors’ eight.
"They’ve got the composure; they’ve got people like Mo Salah who have the killer instinct to finish games off. I thought all their players performed very well,” added Ferdinand.
"I said before the game that Arne Slot would have liked what his team can produce in a game of this magnitude against the Champions League winners, and he got a very positive answer."
Caoimhin Kelleher has now saved three of the four penalties he has faced for Liverpool in all competitions (excluding shootouts), while this was only the second penalty Mbappe has failed to convert in the Champions League.
Mbappe has just one goal in the competition this season, having struggled since joining Madrid in the summer.
However, former Real Madrid star Gareth Bale backed the 25-year-old to come good in Spain.
"It does happen. I’ve missed penalties, everyone has missed penalties. It’s just unfortunate that at the moment it’s not quite going Mbappe’s way," said Bale.
"But I think on his day he’s the best in the world. It’s just a matter of time before he comes good."
Rodgers praises Celtic's determination to keep them on track in the Champions League
Brendan Rodgers was pleased with Celtic’s determination after coming from behind to draw 1-1 with Club Brugge in the Champions League.
The Scottish side conceded first through a bizarre Cameron Carter-Vickers own goal in the 26th minute, before Daizen Maeda restored parity in the 60th minute in what Rodgers described as a “game of two halves”.
Celtic now sit 20th in the league phase of the Champions League on eight points. It leaves them just short of the 10-point target that should be enough to guarantee qualification for the knockout phase play-off round.
Despite failing to hit that mark at Celtic Park against Club Brugge, Rodgers was encouraged by the resilience shown by his side.
"First half not so good, second half much better. You obviously want to win every game, but first half we were very passive in our pressing and you could see they are a good side,” he told TNT Sports.
"Second half, we adjusted a couple of things and we had a much better press, which allowed us to sustain attacks.
"It's a brilliant finish from Daizen. We were much more courageous in the second half.
"So, so pleased with the second half. We kept going, showed determination right to the end. It's a really good point against a good side and we'll take that into our next game.
"We're still in a really good place. We're still well on track [to get into the play-off stage]."
Celtic have three games left to play, with their next test coming away at Dinamo Zagreb before they welcome Young Boys to Celtic Park in the new year and round off the league phase with a trip to Aston Villa.
They are undefeated in their last three games in the Champions League. Their last joint-longest unbeaten streak was from 10 December 2008 to 2 October 2012, leaving Rodgers confident about their prospects.
“We're on eight points, nine to play for. We can still get to very much on course to get to where we want to get to. And, yes, still three games to go,” he added.
“Tonight was always going to be a really, really dangerous game because on the back of the Leipzig and Atalanta results, people will look at Club Brugge and think we should definitely win that. But this is a team that's more experienced than us at this level.”
Kaheim Dixon focused on growth despite four-goal heroics against Wingate & Finchley
Jamaican international Kaheim Dixon delivered a sensational four-goal performance in just 25 minutes during Charlton Athletic U21s’ emphatic 9-2 victory over Wingate & Finchley in the London Senior Cup on Tuesday. However, despite his remarkable contribution, the young forward insists he still has room for improvement.
Speaking after the match, Dixon was candid about his performance.
“To be honest, it wasn’t my best performance,” he said. “I still have a lot of room to improve, and I will look to fix that in training.”
Dixon’s humility belies an extraordinary display that included a variety of goals, capped by a stunning bicycle kick for his brace. When asked to choose a favorite, the 20-year-old pointed to his third goal of the night.
“If I had to pick one out of them it would be the third! A through ball was played to me from the midfield, I’ve kicked it over the keeper and rolled it into an empty goal.”
The match, a dominant showing by Charlton U21s under manager Chris Lock, saw the young Addicks dismantle their senior opponents with clinical efficiency. Dixon praised the team’s effort and professionalism.
“I loved it out there tonight,” he said. “The boys gave it their all, it was a professional performance and that's all that matters.”
Dixon’s self-critical approach highlights his drive to improve, even as he continues to impress at both club and international levels. His performance on Tuesday not only secured Charlton’s progression to the fourth round but also underscored his potential as a rising star in Jamaican and English football.
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