Arsenal Spurs Underdogs Shine
Arsenal, Spurs, and Underdogs Shine in Thrilling Champions League Openers
The Champions League season kicked off dramatically on Tuesday, with Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur among the winners, while surprise victories by Union Saint-Gilloise and Qarabag made headlines.
Arsenal, looking to improve on last season’s semi-final exit to Paris Saint-Germain, got off to the perfect start in the Basque Country. Late goals from substitutes Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard sealed a 2-0 victory at San Mamés. Martinelli, who had just come on, opened the scoring in the 72nd minute, and Trossard added the second goal with the help of a deflection.
“We started to grow throughout the game,” said Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta. “In the second half, we were more fluent and dominant, and the finishers made the impact for us to win the game.”
Mbappe Hits 50 as Real Madrid Overcome Marseille
Real Madrid needed to fight back to beat Marseille 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu, despite finishing the match with 10 men. Marseille stunned the home crowd with a first-half goal from Timothy Weah, but Mbappe leveled from the penalty spot after Rodrygo was fouled. Later, Dani Carvajal was sent off following a VAR review, but Mbappe calmly converted another penalty late on, marking his 50th goal for Real Madrid.
“For me, it’s a penalty, but I understand there are people who don’t (think so). We’re all lost with this rule,” Mbappe told Movistar.
Tottenham Edge Villarreal in North London
Tottenham continued their strong start under new manager Thomas Frank, defeating Villarreal 1-0 thanks to a bizarre early own goal by goalkeeper Luiz Junior. Lucas Bergvall’s cross trickled into the net, giving Spurs the narrow victory. “It was a very even game that we just edged,” Frank said.
Eight-Goal Thriller Between Juventus and Dortmund
Juventus and Dortmund delivered one of the night’s most thrilling encounters, drawing 4-4 in Turin in a match that echoed their 1997 Champions League final. After a goalless first half, Dortmund took the lead seven minutes after the break through Karim Adeyemi. The lead exchanged hands multiple times, with Dusan Vlahovic scoring twice, including a stoppage-time equalizer, while Lloyd Kelly headed home a dramatic winner deep into injury time.
Late Drama for Qarabag and Benfica
Lisbon witnessed another late show, as Qarabag stunned Benfica 3-2. The Azerbaijani side came from two goals down, with Oleksiy Kashchuk netting the winner in the 86th minute — marking Qarabag’s first-ever victory in the Champions League proper.
Union Saint-Gilloise also made history, winning 3-1 away at PSV Eindhoven. Promise David, Anouar Ait El Hadj, and Kevin Mac Allister scored before Ruben van Bommel pulled one back for the Dutch side.
The opening night highlighted both the dominance of Europe’s elite and the growing threat of underdog clubs, promising an exciting Champions League season ahead.
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