Champions League Opening Day!
International Desk, Sep 8 (EFE).-
The first matchday of the Champions League featured plenty of goals, and emotional moments across the continent, as the top favorites had to battle hard to secure their wins, other teams made a triumphant return to the tournament with important away victories.
Porto 0 – 2 Manchester City
Manchester City kicked off their tournament campaign with a solid 2-0 victory against Porto in Portugal. Local goalkeeper Diogo Costa denied several scoring opportunities in the first half, but the pressure from the English side proved unstoppable after the break.
Erling Haaland scored the opener following a cross from Argentina’s Enzo Fernández. In the final minutes, the Norwegian striker struck again to net the second goal and seal all three points for the Manchester side.
LOSC Lille 2 – 3 Real Betis
Real Betis returned to the Champions League after a 21-year absence, securing a crucial 2-3 win away at Lille. After trailing 2-1 in a first half dominated by headers, the Spanish side responded quickly in the second period.
Two goals from Marc Bartra and another from Troy Parrott completed the comeback. Ethan Mbappé’s red card made life difficult for the French side, and Betis held firm against late attacks to clinch the victory.
Borussia Dortmund 3 – 2 Villarreal
In a tightly contested duel, Borussia Dortmund defeated Villarreal 3-2 in a thrilling finale. The Spanish side managed to equalize with a header from Santiago Mouriño and held the score level until the final moments.
However, two quick goals from Serhou Guirassy secured the win for the German side. Although Villarreal pulled one back in stoppage time and came close to an equalizer on the final play, the three points stayed in Dortmund.
Real Madrid 2 – 1 Inter Milan
Real Madrid edged past Inter Milan 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu, thanks to relentless attacking pressure and a standout performance from goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Kylian Mbappé and Fede Valverde capitalized on two defensive errors by the visitors in the first half to put the hosts ahead.
In the second half, Inter dominated possession and managed to narrow the gap with a goal from Carlos Augusto. Courtois rescued Madrid on several clear-cut chances, allowing the hosts to protect their lead and secure the win.
Club Brugge 2 – 3 Aston Villa
Aston Villa secured a hard-fought 2-3 win away to Club Brugge in a high-scoring encounter. The English team took control early and went into halftime with a 1-3 lead, courtesy of a brace from John McGinn and a goal from Nicolas Jackson.
In the second half, Brugge improved and reduced the deficit through a penalty converted by Nicolo Tresoldi. The Belgian side pushed hard until the end, but the Aston Villa defense held strong to preserve the victory.
AEK Athens 1 – 0 LASK
AEK Athens marked their Champions League debut with a 1-0 home win against Austria’s LASK. The only goal of the match came in the first half from a superb free-kick by Razvan Marin that curled inside the post.
The Greek side sought to extend their lead and created several chances, but LASK pushed forward in the final minutes. Thanks to key saves by goalkeeper Brignoli, AEK managed to secure the result and take all three points. EFE
dmv/mcd
