Chelsea and Everton, two teams in the English Premiership League, sprang surprises and coasted home victory after trouncing Southampton and Manchester United respectively.
Chelsea put a terrible week behind them to return to winning ways in devastating style with a six-goal demolition of Southampton.
Having been beaten 4-1 at home to Brentford in the Premier League and then suffering a 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid, Chelsea bounced back in a manner that will give Thomas Tuchel encouragement his side can salvage their Champions League tie in Spain next week.
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Tuchel said before kick-off that “things are upside down” after two damaging results but his players responded by hitting the woodwork three times and scoring four in an astonishing first half at St Mary’s Stadium.
Timo Werner hit the post and then headed against the bar inside the opening seven minutes before Marcos Alonso fired the visitors ahead after Mason Mount’s assist.
Similarly, Everton secured what could prove a priceless victory in their battle to avoid relegation as lackluster Manchester United were beaten at Goodison Park.
Frank Lampard’s side were plunged into an even deeper crisis when they lost at fellow strugglers Burnley in midweek to leave them facing the prospect of dropping into the bottom three this weekend if results went against them.
In a game low on quality but high in tension, Everton’s victory came courtesy of Anthony Gordon’s 27th-minute drive, which took a heavy deflection off United captain Harry Maguire to leave keeper David de Gea wrong-footed.
Everton keeper Jordan Pickford made two important early saves from Marcus Rashford and a vital late block from Cristiano Ronaldo, but there was rarely any sense of siege as United lacked urgency, failing to break through in another blow to their hopes of making the Premier League’s top four.
