U.S. midfielder Malik Tillman made significant contributions for PSV Eindhoven as they secured a dominant 4-0 victory over Girona in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Tillman began by assisting Ryan Flamingo for the opening goal before netting his own in the 33rd minute, skillfully beating Girona’s goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga at his near post.
This match marked Tillman’s first Champions League goal for PSV since his transfer from Bayern Munich in 2023, with the 22-year-old having already played a crucial role in leading the team to a Dutch league title during his first season.
Following the halftime break, Tillman nearly assisted in adding a third goal, but Luuk de Jong’s shot struck the post instead.
Additionally, Girona’s Arnau Martínez received a red card after earning a second yellow for a foul on de Jong, further complicating matters for the Spanish side.
In the closing stages of the match, Johan Bakayoko found the net, and an own goal from Ladislav Krej?í, his second in this season’s competition, finalized the scoreline for PSV.
This victory marked PSV’s initial win in the group stage after they started with a defeat at Juventus and followed up with two draws.
Girona, on the other hand, has recorded one win along with three losses in their inaugural appearance in the Champions League.
In a different fixture, Dinamo Zagreb managed to hand Slovan Bratislava their fourth consecutive defeat in the competition, coming from behind to triumph 4-1 in a match held in Bratislava.
Later on Tuesday, a highly anticipated match featured AC Milan taking on Real Madrid, bringing together the most decorated clubs in the tournament’s history. Real Madrid raised their trophy last season, marking a remarkable 15th title, while Milan holds the second-highest number with seven championships.
Another intriguing matchup saw Xabi Alonso return to Liverpool with his Bayer Leverkusen team, which tasted success in the German league. Alonso was a key player for Liverpool during their incredible Champions League comeback in 2005, when they overturned a three-goal deficit against Milan.