Spanish giants Real Madrid were left stunned on Tuesday as they were beaten by a little-known club Sheriff at the Santiago Bernabeu in the Champions League. The minnows beat the 13-time champions 2-1.

Jasurbek Yakshiboev drew the first blood for Sheriff, who are playing their first Champions League campaign. The Moldovan club held on to their lead for quite a while until Karim Benzema drew Los Blancos level through a 65th-minute spot-kick.

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Madrid were dominant throughout the game but just could not find a way through the Sheriff defence. And then the unthinkable happened. Sheriff struck again, this time through Sebastien Thill.

He scored in the 89th minute to settle the game and give the Moldovans their first taste of giant-killing in the Champions League. 

Sheriff beat Shakhtar Donetsk 2-0 in its opener at home, while Madrid won 1-0 at Inter.

Sheriff is the first club from the Moldovan league to qualify for the group stage of the Champions League, although it is based in the breakaway region of Transnistria, a self-proclaimed independent nation that is not recognized by any United Nations member state.

Benzema, Vinícius Júnior, and Eden Hazard all had scoring chances as Madrid kept pressuring, but failed to capitalize on them while Sheriff threatened on counterattacks.

Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti made four changes at once after the equalizer, with Luka Modric and Toni Kroos among those coming off the bench.

Madrid has won only five of its last 13 European games at home. It had won five in a row in all competitions before being held by Villarreal to a scoreless draw at the Bernabéu in the Spanish league last weekend.

Madrid is back at the Bernabéu this season after playing at the smaller Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium in its training center during the pandemic.

Madrid next visits Shakhtar Donetsk, while Sheriff plays at Inter Milan.

(With AP inputs)