Round 1 of the UEFA Champions League lived up to the hype as there were plenty of late goals, a few upsets and drama all around.
Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain laid down a marker on the first matchday with a thumping 4-0 win over Atalanta. Juventus played out a crazy 4-4 draw with Borussia Dortmund. Liverpool and Real Madrid picked up narrow wins over Atletico Madrid and Marseille, respectively.
Bayern Munich took down Club World Cup champions Chelsea. Manchester City prevailed 2-0 over Napoli, and Barcelona beat Newcastle United 2-1.
Key Match Summaries
Less than 3 months after dismantling Inter Milan in last season’s final, PSG began their title defence in style. Marquinhos, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes and Goncalo Ramos were all on the scoresheet as they downed Atalanta.
Juventus, meanwhile, played out a frantic 4-4 draw with Dortmund. All eight goals in this fixture came in the second half. Kenan Yildiz’s opening goal, Dusan Vlahovic’s brace and Llyod Kelly’s late strike helped the Old Lady steal a point.
Elsewhere, Real Madrid held on for a gritty 2-1 win over Marseille despite playing with 10 men. Trent Alexander-Arnold got injured in the first half, and his replacement Dani Carvajal, was sent off in the second half. However, Kylian Mbappe‘s brace cancelled out Timothy Weah’s early goal.
In another five-goal thriller, Virgil van Dijk helped Liverpool beat Atletico 3-2. Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah scored inside the first ten minutes, but Marcos Llorente scored twice to level the score. However, the Reds took home all three points thanks to a late header in injury time from their captain.
In the battle of heavyweights, Bayern powered past Chelsea 3-1 thanks to Trevor Chalobah’s own goal and a brace from Harry Kane. Cole Palmer scored a consolation goal for the Blues, who were no match for the Bavarians.
Marcus Rashford scored his first goals in a Barcelona shirt to guide the Catalans past Newcastle. Anthony Gordon scored in the 90th minute, but Barca held on for a tricky win away from home.
Furthermore, Manchester City picked up a 2-0 win against Napoli. It wasn’t a memorable reunion for Kevin de Bruyne as he had to be substituted off early due to Giovanni di Lorenzo’s red card.
In other results, Arsenal beat Athletic Bilbao 2-0, and Tottenham edged Villarreal 1-0. Inter Milan defeated Ajax 2-0, while Club Brugge upset AS Monaco 4-1.
PSV lost 1-3 to Union Saint-Gilloise, and Qarabag FK edged Benfica 3-2. Olympiacos held Pafos to a 0-0 draw. Slavia Praha and Bodo/Glimt played out a 2-2 draw. Copenhagen shared points with Leverkusen after a 2-2 stalemate.
Standout Players and Performances
Sporting’s Francisco Trincão (9.7) was the joint highest-rated player from UCL Round 1, thanks to his brace. Marseille’s Gerónimo Rulli (9.7) made a staggering 13 saves against Real Madrid. Dusan Vlahovic (9.5) came off the bench and scored a brace for Juventus.
Harry Kane (9.4) scored two goals and helped Bayern down Chelsea. Club Brugge’s Hans Vanaken (9.3) scored one and provided an assist in his side’s thrilling victory. Mohamed Salah (9.2) had a hand in two goals during Liverpool’s win.
Virgil van Dijk (9.1) and Marcos Llorente (8.9) were the top defenders from this week’s action. Nuno Mendes (9) and Marquinhos (9.1) were also among the highest-rated players.
League Table & Impact
After matchday 1, Eintracht Frankfurt are at the top following a thumping 5-1 win over Galatasaray. PSG are second, followed by Club Brugge, Sporting, and Union Saint-Gilloise. Bayern, Arsenal, Inter, Man City and Qarabag FK round off the top ten.
Liverpool, Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Tottenham are in the top 15. Dortmund, Juventus, Leverkusen, Copenhagen, and Olympiacos are all level on 1 point.
Atletico and Benfica occupy the last two play-off spots, with the likes of Chelsea, Napoli, Villarreal, and Monaco all further below.
Injuries and Suspension Updates
Real Madrid will be without Trent-Alexander Arnold and Dani Carvajal (suspended) for Round 2. Giovanni di Lorenzo will miss Napoli’s match against Sporting. Pafos will be without Bruno Felipe for their home game against Bayern.
Looking Ahead
In Round 2, Real Madrid will travel 7,200 kms across six time zones to play Kairat Almaty. Chelsea will eye their first win against Benfica, while Galatasaray will host Liverpool. Bayern will take on Pafos, whereas Atletico will face Frankfurt.
Spurs will take on newbies Bodo/Glimt, and Marseille will host Ajax. Newcastle will face Union Saint-Gilloise, as Villarreal and Juventus will eye their first win this season.
The marquee fixture of the round will see Barcelona host PSG. Napoli will take on Sporting, and Arsenal are due to face Olympiacos. Dortmund will face the Bilbao test and City will travel to Monaco.