Clinical Wins for PSG and RB Leipzig, Milan and Newcastle Draw, Barcelona Dominates, Man City Rebounds in Champions League
Paris Saint-Germain Secures Victory Over Borussia Dortmund with Two Unanswered Goals: PSG takes an early lead in the UEFA Champions League. Stalemate Settles Milan vs. Newcastle Match: A draw in the first round of the UEFA Champions League. RB Leipzig Opens Champions League Campaign with Away Win Against Young Boys: RB Leipzig starts strong in the UEFA Champions League. João Félix Nets a Brace as Barcelona Overwhelm Antwerp 5-0: Barcelona's dominant win in the UEFA Champions League. Manchester City Bounces Back from Red Star Surprise for Winning Champions League Start: Manchester City's comeback in the UEFA Champions League.
Paris Saint-Germain Secures Victory Over Borussia Dortmund with Two Unanswered Goals
In a thrilling encounter that brought together the French team Paris Saint-Germain and the German guests Borussia Dortmund, the Parisian squad clinched a 2-0 victory in the match that marked the first round of group stage games in the UEFA Champions League.
French player Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring for the French team with a successful penalty kick in the forty-eighth minute of the match.
Moroccan international Ashraf Hakimi added the second goal for Paris Saint-Germain just ten minutes later after receiving a pass from his teammate Verratti in the fifty-eighth minute.
Gonzalo Ramos appeared to score the third goal for the French team, but the referee canceled it after resorting to VAR due to an offside.
The match concluded with Mbappé and his teammates securing a 2-0 victory, earning Paris Saint-Germain their first three points in the group. This result places them atop Group Six, while AC Milan from Italy and Newcastle United from England share second place with one point each, leaving Borussia Dortmund at the bottom of the group standings.
Stalemate Settles Milan vs. Newcastle Match
The second half and the opening game of the UEFA Champions League's first round of group stage matches between the Italian giants Milan and the newly arrived English team, Newcastle, ended in a goalless draw.
Milan launched an early offensive, pressing hard in the first half to try and secure an early lead, but the English team's defense, along with their goalkeeper, thwarted their attempts.
Newcastle struggled to match Milan's pace in the first half, maintaining a solid defensive formation but failing to pose any real threat to the Italian team's goal.
The second half mirrored the first, with Milan's French striker, Giroud, and Portuguese winger, Leão, making efforts to break the deadlock, but their attempts remained fruitless.
Newcastle's players continued to defend their goal valiantly against Milan's relentless attacks, ultimately securing a valuable point from the hosts, and the match concluded in a goalless draw.
It's worth noting that both teams now have one point each, awaiting the outcome of the other match scheduled for later today, featuring the French powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain and the runner-up of the German league, Borussia Dortmund, at 10:00 PM.
RB Leipzig Opens Champions League Campaign with Away Win Against Young Boys
The recent showdown between RB Leipzig and Young Boys in the UEFA Champions League's opening round at the Wankdorf Stadium concluded with a clean 1-0 victory for the German side.
The match showcased clear dominance by RB Leipzig over the Swiss hosts, resulting in a 1-1 draw at the end of the first half.
RB Leipzig continued their control and determination in the first match of their campaign, netting two goals in the second half, ultimately concluding the game with a 3-1 victory.
With this win, RB Leipzig takes the top spot in the group, which also includes the reigning champions, Manchester City.
Young Boys will face Red Star Belgrade in their upcoming match, while RB Leipzig is set to square off against the English champions, Manchester City, in their next fixture.
João Félix Nets a Brace as Barcelona Overwhelm Antwerp 5-0
Barcelona demonstrated their determination to return to the elite of European football with a resounding 5-0 victory over Royal Antwerp in the Champions League. João Félix was the star of the show, striking twice, while an own goal, Robert Lewandowski, and Gavi also got on the scoresheet.
After experiencing consecutive group stage eliminations, Barcelona is eager to make a deep run in this season's competition, having last won it eight years ago. João Félix shone brightly for the Spanish champions on a comfortable evening in Catalonia.
Barcelona's last Champions League triumph dates back to 2015, capping a golden decade for the club. Current coach Xavi Hernandez, a key figure in the midfield during that era, acknowledges the weight of those past successes on the current team, describing the pressure as "brutal."
However, the pressure didn't seem to affect Barcelona as they easily dispatched Marc van Bommel's Belgian title-winners in their first Champions League appearance at the Olympic Stadium. With Félix and João Cancelo joining the squad on loan during the summer transfer window, Barcelona has immediately become a more dynamic side, evident in their back-to-back five-goal victories.
João Félix opened the scoring for Barca after 11 minutes with a finely executed finish following a slick passing sequence that involved Ilkay Gundogan. Lewandowski doubled the lead eight minutes later from close range after Frenkie de Jong's exquisite pass found Félix, who provided the cross to the back post. This goal marked Lewandowski's 100th European goal.
Barcelona extended their lead to three goals within 22 minutes when Raphinha's cross was deflected into Antwerp's net by Jelle Bataille. Gavi added the fourth early in the second half with a thunderous strike into the top corner after a prolonged spell of Barcelona possession.
Raphinha was the creator of Barcelona's fifth, delivering a fierce cross to the back post where Félix nodded home as the hosts maintained their dominance. Xavi introduced 16-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal, making him the second youngest player in the competition's history. Yamal came close to becoming the youngest scorer but hit the side netting after evading Antwerp goalkeeper Jean Butez.
Tougher challenges lie ahead, including a visit to Porto in their next European game in early October. Still, Barcelona's confidence is higher than it has been since Lionel Messi's departure in 2021. Xavi emphasized that Barcelona's immediate goal is to progress through the group stage, and this resounding victory marked a confident first step towards that aim.
Manchester City Bounces Back from Red Star Surprise for Winning Champions League Start
Julian Alvarez came to Manchester City's rescue as they began their Champions League defense with a 3-1 victory over Red Star Belgrade at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday. Despite the visitors enduring relentless pressure, it was Red Star who stunned Pep Guardiola's men when Osman Bukari opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time. However, Alvarez continued his impressive early-season form by equalizing just two minutes into the second half.
The Argentine midfielder received some help from Red Star's goalkeeper, Omri Glazer, as he mishandled Alvarez's free-kick, allowing the ball to find the far corner of the net. Rodri sealed the victory with a composed finish 17 minutes from time.
Red Star was expected to be outmatched by City, who had a perfect start to the new Premier League campaign after their treble success last season. However, the English champions made life difficult for themselves with wayward finishing, and Glazer made heroic saves for the Serbian giants before the break. Rodri and Alvarez tested Glazer's reflexes, while Erling Haaland hit the crossbar from point-blank range. Phil Foden missed an even easier headed opportunity.
City's stretched squad, affected by injuries, was evident as they could only name eight substitutes, including two goalkeepers. Bernardo Silva was replaced by Jeremy Doku just before half-time, potentially adding to Guardiola's injury concerns.
Red Star had hardly ventured into City's half in the opening 45 minutes, but they caught City off guard when Bukari scored confidently past Ederson. Initially ruled offside, a VAR check showed that he had been played onside by Ruben Dias.
City wasted no time in the second half, ensuring that the early shock would be the only one of the night. Haaland may not have found the target, but his clever pass set up Alvarez to round Glazer for the equalizer.
Glazer's earlier heroics were forgotten as his misjudged punch inadvertently helped Alvarez's free-kick find the top corner. Rodri, the hero of City's first-ever Champions League triumph against Inter Milan in June, continued his knack for scoring crucial goals. The midfielder was given too much space at the edge of the area and placed a perfectly weighted curling shot into the far corner to secure all three points for City.
