November 26th, 2025

Veteran David Luiz helps Pafos tie Monaco in Champions League. Copenhagen teen Dadason shines in win


By Canadian Press on November 26, 2025.

LONDON (AP) — When former Brazil star David Luiz first played in the Champions League in 2007, Viktor Dadason was not yet born in Iceland.

On Wednesday, both the 38-year-old Pafos defender and the 17-year-old Copenhagen prospect scored for their teams in thrilling Champions League games.

David Luiz scored his first goal in the competition in more than eight years and Cypriot champion Pafos pressed Monaco hard to level in the 88th and get a 2-2 draw. An own goal was credited to Monaco defender Mohammed Salisu when the ball struck him after rebounding from the crossbar.

Dadason set Copenhagen on the way to a three-goal lead with a header in the 26th, yet the Danish champion had to hang on for a 3-2 win over Kairat Almaty, which scored twice late on.

Iceland youth international Dadason already was the third-youngest scorer in the Champions League ’s 34-season history last month in Copenhagen’s 4-2 loss at Borussia Dortmund. Only Ansu Fati and Lamine Yamal were younger when they scored for Barcelona.

Those were the early kickoffs Wednesday and the pick of the later games was Arsenal hosting Bayern Munich — a clash of the top two teams in the Champions League standings, and the clear leaders in the Premier League and Bundesliga.

Soaring David Luiz

David Luiz is back in Europe with Pafos after four years in his native Brazil, and he soared at a corner in the 18th to guide a powerful header into the top corner of the Monaco net.

It leveled the score at 1-1 and was David Luiz’s first goal in the competition in October 2017, during his second spell at Chelsea where he was a key player in the Champions League title-winning team in 2012. His Champions League debut was with Benfica in 2007.

Monaco led in the fifth minute when Takumi Minamino stretched to poke the ball first time across the goalkeeper Neofytos Michael.

Michael was at fault for Monaco retaking the lead in the 26th. His pass went straight to Monaco’s Folarin Balogun and the United States forward scored with a shot low into the corner of the net.

Copenhagen and Kairat started with just a point each from four games and in the bottom four places in the standings.

Dadason’s opening goal was added on to by Jordan Larsson’s penalty kick in the 59th, awarded for a handball after a video review, then 20-year-old Brazilian Robert Silva’s deflected shot in the 73rd.

Kairat got a goal in the 81st from Dastan Satpayev and another in the 90th from Olzhas Baibek but could not find a third.

Inter chases 5th win

Inter Milan is the only team other than Arsenal and Bayern on 12 points and was looking for a fifth straight win at Atletico Madrid.

Real Madrid is at Olympiakos after its 1-0 loss in the fourth round at Liverpool, which hosts PSV Eindhoven.

Super Cup rematch

Paris Saint-Germain is at home to Tottenham in a repeat of their Super Cup game in August that the Champions League title holder won in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw.

Two Europa League winners in the past four seasons, Eintracht Frankfurt and Atalanta, meet in Germany, and Sporting Lisbon hosts Club Brugge.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

The Associated Press




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