PARIS: Liverpool are the only team with a perfect record in this season`s Champions League after beating Real Madrid 2-0 in their heavyweight clash on Wednesday, dumping the title-holders into an almost unbelievable 24th place in the 36-team standings.

No one felt the embarrassment of Real`s loss at Anfield more than Kylian Mbappe, the superstar added in the off-season by the storied club who were also European champions against Liverpool in the finals of 2022 and 2018.

Mbappe had a penalty saved in the second half and was earlier dumped on his behind by Conor Bradley`s superb tackle in an instant viral moment.

Liverpool are the only team with a maximum 15 points from five matches, and the runaway Premier League leaders have boosted morale for the next big Anfield game on Sunday against struggling domestic champions Manchester City.

First-year coach Arne Slot`s team are two points clear of Inter Milan. Barcelona and last season`s runners-up Borussia Dortmund have 12 points each.

Real are, remarkably, with three rounds left just one place above being eliminated. The top eight teams at the end of January go direct to the round of 16 in March, and teams placed from ninth to 24th enter a round of two-leg playoffs in February.

`[This] doesn`t change much, because even with a win it was going to be tough to secure a top-eight finish,` Real coach Carlo Ancelotti said. `It was afair result.

Dortmund moved up to fourth place with 3-0 win at Dinamo Zagreb, where Jamie Gittens, Ramy Bensebaini and fit-again Serhou Guirassy got on the scoresheet.

AS Monaco missed a chance to go second in the table, giving up a lead playing with 10 men from the 58th minute in a 3-2 loss at home to Benfica.

Aston Villa are outside the top eight on goal difference after a 0-0 draw with Juventus, Celtic drew 1-1 with Club Brugge and while finally scoring their first goal of the campaign, Bologna lost 2-1 against Lille.

PSV Eindhoven produced a dramatic late turnaround to beat 10-man Shakhtar Donetsk 3-2 at home. Red Star Belgrade registered their first win of the league phase by thrashing VfB Stuttgart 5-1, as did Sturm Graz, beating Girona 1-0.

The showdown at Anfield saw Real attempting to extend a run of eight games unbeaten against Liverpool.

However, Slot`s Premier League leaders were too strong, with stand-in right back Bradley a standout, denying Mbappe at high speed in a signature defensive play in the 32nd.

The Reds took the lead when Alexis Mac Allister played a one-two with Bradley, the 21-year-old Northern Ireland defender deputising for fit-again Trent Alexander-Arnold, and slotted past Thibaut Courtois seven minutes into the second half.

Real had the chance to equalise with a penalty just past the hour, but Mbappe saw his strikesaved by Caoimhin Kelleher.

There was then an unsuccessful spot-kick from the hosts as Mohamed Salah missed from 12 yards, before Cody Gakpo popped up with a 76th-minute header from Andy Robertson`s cross as the Merseysiders recorded a first win over Real in 15 years.

Ancelotti had words of comfort for their star French striker, saying: `This is a difficult moment for Mbappe. We will support him and give him love.

Real have now lost three of five games after defeats at Lille and at home to AC Milan. The record 15-time European champions have another tough trip next, at fifth-placed Atalanta on Dec 10. On the same date, Liverpool are at 30th-place Girona and look to be cruising into the round of 16.

`You know how spe cial it is to play against a team that has won the Champions League so many times,` Liverpool coach Slot said of Real. `They were a pain for Liverpool for many years too.

Dortmund`s English youngster Gittens has four goals in five games, curling a rising shot in the 41st to open the scoring in Croatia. Bensebaini headed in on 56 minutes and substitute Guirassy sealed the win late on.

VILLA DENIED Villa started with three straight victories in the Champions League but were six matches without a win in all competitions before hosting Juve.

The English side were denied in stoppage time when a MorganRogers goal was disallowed for a foul on goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio, with Villa`s Emiliano Martinez having earlier made a fantastic save, diving low to push away a header from Francisco Conceicao.

Villa are one of seven teams on 10 points with three fixtures remaining.

Monaco dropped to eighth after suffering their first loss of the league phase as they went down at home to Benfica in a dramatic game.

Eliesse Ben Seghir gave Monaco an early lead but the visitors were level just after the break as Vangelis Pavlidis profited from a defensive error to score.

Monaco were reduced to 10 men when defender Wilfried Singo was sent off for a second yellow, but they still retook the lead as Soungoutou Magassa fired in.

However, Benfica`s numerical superiority made the difference late on as Arthur Cabral headed in on 84 minutes and Zeki Amdouni snatched the winner.

Lille, in 12th, have the same amount of points as Monaco and Villa as they won in Italy against Bologna, who remain winless.

Belgian-born midfielder Ngal`ayel Mukau was the French side`s hero with a brace, including the opener before half-time.

Colombian defender Jhon Lucumi equalised for Bologna, but Mukau struck again on 66 minutes to secure Lille`s third win in five matches.

The comeback of the night came from PSV, who trailed Shakhtar by two goals in the 87th minute.Goals by Danylo Sikan and Oleksandr Zubkov had the Ukrainians 2-0 ahead at halftime at the Philips Stadion.

However, they had Brazilian full-back Pedro Henrique sent off on 69 minutes and fell apart late on.

Malik Tillman`s free-kick was carried over the line by the goalkeeper on 87 minutes and the same player equalised with a superb long-range strike in the 90th minute.

Tillman`s fellow American Ricardo Pepi then got the winner in the fifth added minute.

Celtic and Brugge remain on course for the play-offs after drawing in Glasgow, Daizen Maeda`s superb strike earning the Scottish champions a point after they had fallen behind to a farcical Cameron Carter-Vickers own goal playing a no-look pass far beyond goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.

`One of those things, Schmeichel said. `Cam gets pressed and he hasn`t heard me shout that I`m not in [goal].

Red Star came from behind to hammer Stuttgart 5-1 in Serbia.

Ermedin Demirovic gave the Germans an early lead, but Silas Katompa Mvumpa, on loan from Stuttgart, equalised before goals by Rade Krunic and Mirko Ivanic, and a Nemanja Radonjic brace.

Sturm Graz won against Girona, the Spanish newcomers to European competitions, with a Mika Biereth goal. It was the Austrian champions` first Champions League game since coach Christian Ilzer left to join Hoffenheim.-Agencies