{"id":14304,"date":"2025-12-11T13:52:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-11T13:52:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/?p=14304"},"modified":"2025-12-11T13:52:22","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T13:52:22","slug":"champions-league-mw-six-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/champions-league-mw-six-review","title":{"rendered":"Champions League MW6 Review &#8211; Perfect Arsenal, Relieved Liverpool, and Lennart Karl"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/league\/uefa-champions-league-572\">Champions League<\/a> Matchday 6 had everything: comeback chaos, teenage stardom, a brewing crisis (that to me seems overblown) in Madrid, and one very loud audition for a World Cup ticket from Marseille. Here is how it all fits together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Our Champions League Team Of The Week is in with some surprising names excelling this matchweek and making the team \ud83d\udd25 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/WbmFypWAvv\">pic.twitter.com\/WbmFypWAvv<\/a><\/p>\r\n\u2014 365Scores (@365Scores) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/365Scores\/status\/1999063975015936293?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">December 11, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote>\r\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Champions League latest<\/h2><nav><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#is-xabi-alonso-actually-in-trouble\">Is Xabi Alonso actually in trouble?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#arsenal-march-on\">Arsenal march on<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#lennart-karl-is-a-special-player\">Lennart Karl is a special player<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#liverpool-get-a-much-needed-win\">Liverpool get a much needed win<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#mason-greenwood-to-the-world-cup\">Mason Greenwood to the World Cup?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#fa-qs\">FAQs<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"is-xabi-alonso-actually-in-trouble\">Is Xabi Alonso actually in trouble?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>On paper, the case for panic at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/real-madrid-131\">Real Madrid<\/a> looks straightforward. Back to back defeats have cranked up the volume around Xabi Alonso\u2019s position, and tension has sharpened further after a 2\u20131 home loss to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/manchester-city-110\">Manchester City<\/a> on Matchday 6. It was the kind of result that invites crisis headlines, especially when it happens at the Bernab\u00e9u.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reflect, though, and the idea that he is genuinely in trouble feels absurd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In La Liga, Madrid are second, four points off <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/fc-barcelona-132\">Barcelona<\/a>, with one defeat all season. They have the division\u2019s top scorer in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/kylian-mbappe-39820\">Kylian Mbapp\u00e9<\/a>, they have already won a high stakes cl\u00e1sico, and they are firmly in the automatic Champions League qualification places. This is not a crisis. This is the normal turbulence of a first season spent reshaping a superclub with superstar additions and tactical renovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Europe, Madrid finish Matchday 6 with four wins from six in the league phase, right in the mix near the top of the standings. The Champions League\u2019s new format rewards accumulation rather than spotless perfection, and they are accumulating well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, there are issues. The defence still feels like a work in progress. The attack can look overly reliant on individual brilliance. But the idea that you tear up a project with the team second in Spain and thriving in Europe because of a rocky week feels like pure Bernab\u00e9u theatre. Alonso was hired to build an era, not a fortnight. Managers at this level need time. He deserves it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Real Madrid had only one shot on target vs Man City, their lowest in a Champions League game at the Bernabeu since 2004! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ScoBA3jPgl\">pic.twitter.com\/ScoBA3jPgl<\/a><\/p>\r\n\u2014 365Scores (@365Scores) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/365Scores\/status\/1999086761155457441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">December 11, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote>\r\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"arsenal-march-on\">Arsenal march on<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While Madrid wrestle with expectation, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/arsenal-104\">Arsenal<\/a> are gliding through the Champions League like they have been waiting years for this version of themselves. Six games, six wins, and a swagger that suggests they belong at the top of Europe\u2019s new league phase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their 3\u20130 win at Club Brugge was a demonstration of depth as much as dominance. Noni Madueke struck twice, Gabriel Martinelli added another, and Mikel Arteta calmly rotated his squad without losing fluency. Key players were missing, others were rested, and Arsenal still controlled every meaningful minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The victory also came in the shadow of a domestically bruising loss to Aston Villa. Lesser sides might have wobbled. Instead Arsenal used Europe as a reset button. Under the new Champions League format, league position matters, and Arsenal have planted themselves right near the summit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is a maturity to their European performances that has not always been present in Arteta\u2019s tenure. They manage tempo better, they defend with clarity, and they now have multiple match winners. They&#8217;ve only conceded one goal in the whole campaign. It is too early for trophy talk, but this Arsenal looks built for long spring nights.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"739\" src=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2251254185-1024x739.jpg\" alt=\"BRUGES, BELGIUM - DECEMBER 10: Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus prays on the final whistle after the UEFA Champions League 2025\/26 League Phase MD6 match between Club Brugge KV and Arsenal FC at Jan Breydelstadion on December 10, 2025 in Bruges, Belgium. \" class=\"wp-image-14307\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2251254185-1024x739.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2251254185-300x216.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2251254185-768x554.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2251254185-1536x1108.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2251254185-scaled.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo by Stuart MacFarlane\/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"lennart-karl-is-a-special-player\">Lennart Karl is a special player<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Every Champions League season produces a breakout teenager. This year\u2019s surprise leading man might be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/lennart-karl-202138\">Lennart Karl<\/a>. Did you see his performance against Sporting Lisbon? Ridiculous. Two goals and he ran the show.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 17 year old Bayern midfielder is playing like someone who has skipped several rungs on the development ladder. He scored again on Matchday 6, continuing a run of goals and sparkling cameos that make it hard not to revisit the highlight reels just to make sure you really saw what you thought you saw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Karl is more than a goalscoring hot streak. His game is built on glide and vision. He drifts into pockets that do not exist for other players, carries the ball like it is weightless, and plays with a boldness that feels immune to the pressure of the badge on his chest. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/bayern-munich-331\">Bayern<\/a> have had their share of young talents, but few look this unfazed in Europe this early.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-media-max-width=\"560\">\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Lennart Karl vs Sporting CP \ud83d\udcab<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/UCL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#UCL<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/c5yMRzUeba\">pic.twitter.com\/c5yMRzUeba<\/a><\/p>\r\n\u2014 UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ChampionsLeague\/status\/1999058766252372267?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">December 11, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote>\r\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"liverpool-get-a-much-needed-win\">Liverpool get a much needed win<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Liverpool do not do quiet weeks. They arrived in Milan under scrutiny, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/mohamed-salah-1439\">Mohamed Salah<\/a> sidelined and the noise around Arne Slot growing louder. The performance was wobbly, the chances were scarce, but the 1\u20130 victory was pure relief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The late penalty that won it came like a pressure valve being released. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/team\/liverpool-108\">Liverpool<\/a> defended deeper than usual, leaned on their centre backs, and showed a resilience that had been missing. It was gritty rather than expressive, but sometimes seasons hinge on nights like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most importantly, the win stabilises their Champions League campaign. Four victories from six games puts them solidly in the advancing pack, and it buys time for Slot to settle a side still adjusting stylistically. It was not pretty. It did not need to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"mason-greenwood-to-the-world-cup\">Mason Greenwood to the World Cup?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>No performance this round carried as much tension and intrigue as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/player\/mason-greenwood-65650\">Mason Greenwood\u2019s<\/a> brace for Marseille away to Union Saint Gilloise. He has been in exceptional form all season, now with double figures in goals in Ligue 1, with a healthy stack of assists, and his Champions League output continues to rise. The explosiveness, the finishing angles, the ability to decide matches as a soloist or within structure, all of it is back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On pure footballing merit, talk of a World Cup call up is completely rational.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The bigger question is who he would represent. Greenwood has one England cap, but a controversial and highly publicised legal episode in 2022 complicated his international trajectory. While charges were dropped, the situation shifted how the FA approached him, and a return to England appears unlikely for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is where Jamaica enter the scene. Greenwood qualifies through family heritage, holds a Jamaican passport, and has been engaged in discussions to switch his international allegiance. Jamaica are ambitious, talent hungry and eyeing a statement summer. Greenwood, in this form, would immediately become their most dangerous attacking player.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nothing is confirmed, nor have Jamaica qualified yet, but the pathway is clear. If he goes to the World Cup, the odds lean strongly towards Jamaica. And based on nights like Wednesday, he would not be going there as a passenger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2205217502-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Paris, France - March 16: Mason Greenwood of Olympique Marseille in action during the Ligue 1 football match between Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique de Marseille at Parc des Princes stadium on March 16, 2025 in Paris, France. \" class=\"wp-image-14308\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2205217502-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2205217502-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2205217502-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2205217502-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2205217502-scaled.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo by Tnani Badreddine\/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"fa-qs\">FAQs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Who has the best Champions League record after Matchday 6?<\/strong><br>Arsenal are the only side with six wins from six, sitting top of the league phase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Is Xabi Alonso close to being sacked by Real Madrid?<\/strong><br>Despite noisy speculation, the evidence suggests the opposite. Madrid are second in La Liga and well placed in the Champions League. He needs time, not panic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What makes Lennart Karl so exciting?<\/strong><br>He is 17, already scoring and creating in the Champions League, and plays with the technical bravery of someone much older.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Could Mason Greenwood really play at the next World Cup?<\/strong><br>On form, yes. Whether it is with England or Jamaica is the real question, and right now Jamaica appears the more realistic path, provided they qualify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>By Nicky Helfgott \/ @NickyHelfgott1 on Twitter (X)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep up with all the latest <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/league\/uefa-champions-league-572\/stats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/league\/uefa-champions-league-572\/stats\">Champions League stats<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/where-to-watch\">where to watch<\/a> &amp; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/league\/uefa-champions-league-572\/news\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/en-us\/football\/league\/uefa-champions-league-572\/news\">latest news<\/a> on the&nbsp;365Scores website and app!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Champions League Matchday 6 had everything: comeback chaos, teenage stardom, a brewing crisis (that to me seems overblown) in Madrid, and one very loud audition for a World Cup ticket from Marseille. Here is how it all fits together. Our Champions League Team Of The Week is in with some surprising names excelling this matchweek &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":14310,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,2509],"tags":[182,201,179,1126,2870,2445,1821,4362,4363,188,4361,14,15,215,2098,4360,225,3749,59,1907],"class_list":["post-14304","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-soccer","category-champions-league","tag-arsenal","tag-atalanta","tag-bayern-munich","tag-champions-league","tag-charles-de-ketelaere","tag-european-football","tag-gabriel-martinelli","tag-gianluca-scamacca","tag-jamaica-national-team","tag-kylian-mbappe","tag-lennart-karl","tag-liverpool","tag-manchester-city","tag-marseille","tag-mason-greenwood","tag-matchday-6","tag-mikel-arteta","tag-noni-madueke","tag-real-madrid","tag-xabi-alonso","article_type-discover","entity_type-competition","entity_type-competitor","inspiration-365s-articles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14304","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14304"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14304\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14313,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14304\/revisions\/14313"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14310"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14304"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14304"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14304"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}