The UEFA Champions League is back with a bang after Tuesday's opening League Phase games which saw Real Madrid, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Sporting CP and Aston Villa all claim wins on Matchday One. Italian powerhouse Juventus got us underway with a 3-1 win over Dutch outfit PSV Eindhoven in Turin while 1982 European champions Aston Villa saw off Swiss side Young Boys 3-0 in Bern.
However, German giants Bayern pulverized Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 to quickly hit provisional top spot with Harry Kane scoring three penalties as part of a four-goal haul in an 11-goal game. The Bundesliga juggernauts are the first team in UCL history to score nine goals in a game and boasted five different scorers on the night with Raphael Guerreiro, Micheal Olise, Leroy Sane and Leon Goretzka joining Kane on the score sheet.
Liverpool came from one goal down to U.S. Men's National Team star Christian Pulisic's opener to win 3-1 over Milan at San Siro while Zeno Debast hit an all-time screamer as part of Sporting CP's fairly straightforward 2-0 win over 10-man Lille. It was a good night for USMNT stars overall, though, with a new record of five players being involved in the Juve win over PSV with Weston McKennie scoring while Malik Tillman, Richy Ledezma, Tim Weah and Ricardo Pepi also featured -- although only four of the five were on the field at the same time.
It was not as easy as expected for defending UCL champions Real Madrid but the Spanish giants squeezed past Stuttgart 3-1 at home with Kylian Mbappe on target at Santiago Bernabeu. That said, Carlo Ancelotti's men did get it done and can now watch on as the rest of the first round of games play out over Wednesday and Thursday with Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, Inter and Borussia Dortmund next up on Wednesday.
All times Eastern
Tuesday, Sept. 17
Young Boys 0, Aston Villa 3
Juventus 3, PSV Eindhoven 1
Milan 1, Liverpool 3
Bayern Munich 9, Dinamo Zagreb 2
Real Madrid 3, Stuttgart 1
Sporting CP 2, Lille 0
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Sporting 2, Lille 0
Real Madrid 3, Stuttgart 1
Milan 1, Liverpool 3
Bayern Munich 9, Dinamo Zagreb 2
Results
Juventus 3, PSV 1
Young Boys 0, Aston Villa 3
Milan will need to clean up set pieces but the benefit of eight league stage matches one loss won't set them back too much. For Liverpool, this is a great result to kick off their return to Champions League play with three different goal scorers, there will be reasons to be positive moving forward.
Endrick strikes on debut. No word of a lie, it's a Bobby Charlton-esque low drive. Madrid were made to fight to the death here but their young Brazilian wraps up the win, striking low and hard. Nubel should have done better but it would have only mattered in goal difference terms.
90'+2 It's 9-2 to Bayern Munich over Dinamo Zagreb, this time through a diving header from Leon Goretzka. That will certainly be beneficial to Bayern in the new league phase, where goal difference could be very important, and equally tragic for Dinamo's hopes of progressing.
85' Bayern Munich still have plenty of goals in them, it seems, with Leroy Sane now scoring to make it 8-2 against Dinamo Zagreb. That nervy 3-2 lead feels like a very long time ago now.
It had to be. Against the club that gave him his professional debut, Antonio Rudiger strikes. A brilliant delivery from Modric, all his center back needs to do is rise highest and flick home.
It took until the 74th minute for Tijjani Reijnders to send in a speculative effort from outside the box but even with that, Milan haven't taken a shot inside the box, or put one on target in the second half.
78' Bayern Munich win another penalty and Harry Kane steps up to the plate for a third time today and scores, making it 7-2 today, four of which came from Kane. The Englishman went the same way for each of his three penalties but Dinamo Zagreb goalkeeper Ivan Nevistic was unable to stop each of those chances.
72' Bayern Munich earn a penalty and Harry Kane steps up to take it, converting the opportunity with ease. It's 6-2 to Bayern now against Dinamo Zagreb, and hattricks in back-to-back games for Kane.
Oh no, could this be one too many goals for Milan to come back from? It has been all Liverpool in the second half of play and Cody Gakpo found Dominik Szoboszlai to put Liverpool ahead by two goals. Things are lining up well for Arne Slot's first UCL away victory.
It has been coming. Madrid just about deal with pressure in their box but at the cost of a corner. Again it's not really cleared, instead hooked back in at the back post towards Undav, whose instinctive header goes back away from Courtois. All square at the Bernabeu.
Well... A simply stunning hit from Zeno Debast! Teed up by Daniel Braganca, the Belgian defender absolutely leathers it in. Not only his first Sporting goal but a first professional goal it seems. A truly memorable strike for all involved. Estadio Jose Alvalade absolutely erupted.
I wish I could say that it was half as entertaining in Lisbon as it seems to be elsewhere but we have barely had an additional shot on goal in this half. Gyokeres' goal still separates the sides and Lille remain in search of a shot of any description -- on or off target. A man light, Les Dogues have their work cut out for them...
The Reds have had three shots putting two on target with Jota's chance being the biggest of the bunch. Jota's chance had an xG of .43 but Milan has yet to take a shot in the second period despite dominating the possession during the match. It feels like only a matter of time until Liverpool nets another goal.
62' Now it's Michael Olise's turn to score a brace, a few short minutes after Harry Kane did the same. Bayern Munich are now up 5-2 over Dinamo Zagreb, restoring the three goal lead they had at the break and perhaps, for the final time, putting the game out of the visitors' reach.
There's still a few vulnerabilities in a defense that tightened up somewhat when Militao replaced Vazquez -- Courtois has just made another save -- but Madrid are really pushing furiously for that second goal. Bellingham is driving up the field more, adding pace and bodies to an attack that is moving much quicker than it did in the first. Moments after firing a tempting pass towards Mbappe, Vinicius whacks a shot against the bar. Plenty more goals in this game, you suspect.
57' Harry Kane comes to Bayern Munich's rescue to make things 4-2 against Dinamo Zagreb, offering his side some breathing space in a game in which no one expected they'd need it. It's also his 31st Champions League goal, making him the highest scoring Englishman in the competition.
Already receiving treatment in the first half for a possible hamstring injury, the Milan keeper is now down again after making a big save on Diogo Jota. After assessment, he has been withdrawn in favor of backup keeper Lorenzo Torriani as Milan's day goes from bad to worse. This is Torriani's senior debut at only 19 after an impressive preseason with the club.
50' And all of a sudden, Dinamo Zagreb go from a 3-0 deficit at the break to a 3-2 game just five minutes into the second half. Takuya Ogiwara slips the ball through the 'keeper's legs and now we're set for a very nervy finish to a game that once felt like a formality for Bayern Munich.
49' Dinamo Zagreb reduce the deficit slight and make it 3-1 against Bayern Munich, courtesy of a goal from captain Bruno Petkovic.
Kylian Mbappe scores, surely the first of many Champions League goals he'll be scoring in Madrid white. Tchouameni carves open the high Stuttgart line with the sort of brilliant pass that Mittelstadt thinks he can reach, his despairing boot doing nothing to stop the ball rolling into Rodrygo's path. He squares it unselfishly, a slipping Mbappe slots into an empty net.
A tough first 45 for the French outfit who trail to a Viktor Gyokeres goal but also by a player after Angel Gomes was sent off. Things could have been worse without Lucas Chevalier, but there is still the second half to try to put some pressure on the Portuguese hosts. It could get worse for LOSC with Benjamin Andre nursing a heavy knock which gives Bruno Genesio some decisions to make at the break.
We won't have wanted that to come to a pause but Milan will be happy to go to the break. Christian Pulisic gave Milan the lead three minutes into the match but from then on it was all Liverpool. The Reds put five shots on target to Milan's one and both center backs scored from set plays. Milan is lucky to only trail by one goal at the half because this could be much worse. It's a tough balance to strike because attacking Liverpool directly opens a team up to their counter but something needs to change quickly.
Well that was one of the better 0-0s that I've seen of late. Stuttgart have done very well to carve out their own possession niche and are doubtless benefitting from a side that are still trying to puzzle out how they orbit around Mbappe. There are signs, though, that the holders is starting to click. One gorgeous pass from Bellingham is the sort you suspect Mbappe dreamed of before his arrival. He doubtless didn't see himself letting the ball get stuck in his feet when he might have been through on goal with a better touch.
Set piece woes are rearing their head for Milan as Virgil van Dijk finds the back of the net now. After a quickfire goal in the first five minutes, it has been all Liverpool with Mohamed Salah also hitting the post. Milan will need to find their feet again at the half but Arne Slot could be in line for his first away win in Champions League play.
Things just got much harder for Lille. Angel Gomes was on a booking and is now dismissed. LOSC down to 10 and a few players have taken knocks too. The frustration of the goal built up and it told with an unnecessarily rough approach being an obvious candidate for an early sending off.
That man Gyokeres again! Sloppy LOSC defending but the Swede did brilliantly to create the space for a turn and finish of clinical excellence. His extraordinary rise continues with another superb finish from one of Europe's most in-form marksmen.
38' And just like that Bayern Munich, now have a 3-0 lead over Dinamo Zagreb. Michael Olise scores off a header in the box after a stellar delivery from Joshua Kimmich, making his Champions League debut in style.
And rightly so. I'm not sure why that took so long. Maybe football needs cricket's ultra edge?
Now it is Lille's turn to worry with Benjamin Andre likely to be forced off after Goncalo Incio. Not far off half time but LOSC are down to 10 for now until Bruno Genesio makes a decision over the change. Lucas Chevarlier has been sharp so far between the sticks for the French side to keep Viktor Gyokeres and teammates at bay.
This has really spiced up, hasn't it? A corner from the right bounces in front of Mittelstadt. Rudiger stretches out a boot towards it and gets a touch before screaming quite theatrically. I can't see that Mittelstadt actually connected with Rudiger though. Don't be surprised if Umut Muler is adviced to change his decision.
