The Champions League is back and instantly flipped to thrill-ride mode. Only six matches — yet enough impressions for a whole European week: in Turin the teams staged a 4–4 goal carnival, Baku witnessed a comeback to be remembered for years, Real won through suffering, and Arsenal proved that the right substitution is an art of its own. We’ve gathered the key stories of the evening — the moments, the plot twists, and what they say about each team.
Turin Carousel: “Juventus” — “Borussia Dortmund” 4–4, When the Defense Goes on Holiday
If you switched off at half-time at 0–0, you missed one of the craziest second halves of the season. Juve controlled the rhythm before the break but lacked craft in the final third — plenty of approaches, few telling shots. Dortmund replied with rare yet sharp counters, and there wasn’t a hint of the fireworks to come.
Then the switch flipped. On 52 minutes, Karim Adeyemi took two defenders out with one move and fired across — the visitors led. At 63, Kenan Yildiz bent his trademark arc into the far corner — 1–1, and the game opened like a pair of wings. Two minutes later, midfielder Felix Nmecha restored Borussia’s advantage, but on 67 Dusan Vlahovic attacked the back post to level again. At 74, Yan Couto joined in and slammed Juve with a third — the Germans up 3–2. It felt like, “That’ll do” — but no.
On 86, the Turin side gifted a penalty, Ramy Bensebaini converted coolly — 2–4. Four minutes on the clock, two mountains to climb. But Juventus turned into a team that doesn’t recognize probability: at 90+4 Vlahovic completed his brace, and two minutes later the evening’s surprise hero, center-back Lloyd Kelly, met a delivery — the assist also by Dusan. 4–4, and the stadium swayed between disbelief and delight.
This Juve is all swings. Before Borussia there was a wild 4–3 over Inter with a winner at 90+1, and the season began with calm “work” wins over Parma and Genoa. Still unbeaten — and nerve-jangling. Dortmund’s rhythm is just as showy: a 3–3 opener with St. Pauli, then 3–0 against Union and 2–0 over Heidenheim. Goals poured like a flood — now the waves crashed into their own net too. Up next: Juventus away to Villarreal in Spain, while Dortmund host Athletic.
Madrid Survives: Two Mbappé Penalties, Güler’s Error and a Win Through Pain
Real had to recall the value of patience — Marseille dug in and forced the Madrid side to use every option. The visitors started poorly: on 22 minutes Arda Güler, under pressure, played a rash back-pass, Mason Greenwood intercepted and squared for Timothy Weah — the ball beat Thibaut Courtois. Earlier there was also a forced change: Trent Alexander-Arnold clutched his hamstring in the 3rd minute and left the pitch.
Kylian Mbappé became the engine in every sense. In the first half he equalized from the spot, in the second he converted another penalty for handball. Between those moments Real labored to unpick the hosts’ block, and at one point Dani Carvajal managed to butt heads with the opposing keeper — needless drama that helped no one. But the result stands: 2–1 and three points banked.
By the lines: Real have won their first five under Xabi Alonso — before the UCL there were Osasuna, Oviedo, Mallorca and Sociedad. None were easy, but the efficiency is maxed out. Mbappé is a perpetual motion machine: eight goals in seven for club and country; in the UCL this is already No. 57 — sixth all-time, with legends ahead, and Kylian moving as if time bends to his rules. Next up for Madrid is a unique trip to Kazakhstan to face Kairat; Marseille will host Ajax.
Baku Miracle: “Qarabag” Flip “Benfica” From 0–2 to 3–2 and Seal the Night
A storyline that tugs the heart. By the 16th minute it was 0–2 — Enzo Barrenechea (assisted by newcomer Georgiy Sudakov) and the team’s most expensive player, forward Evangelos Pavlidis, found the net. At that point most viewers mentally hit “Off.”
But Qarabag neither fell apart nor backed down — they began to claw the game back, bite by bite. Before the break Leandro Andrade pounced on a rebound in the box to halve the deficit. Right after the restart, striker Camilo Duran exploited a mismatch in the defensive shape — 2–2. Benfica pushed to reclaim what felt “rightfully theirs” — and exposed the back. On 86, Aleksey Kashchuk leaned on individual quality: read the moment, chose correctly, and picked the corner. 3–2 — and Anatoliy Trubin’s face said more than any press release: the defense melted in the decisive minutes.
Historical slice: Qarabag open the group stage with a win — the polar opposite of 2017, when the UCL journey began with a 0–6 at Stamford Bridge. They hadn’t reached the main draw since — and what a return. For Benfica it’s a first loss of the season: four league wins, then a draw with Santa Clara, and now this blow. Next round: Qarabag host Copenhagen in Azerbaijan, Benfica travel to Chelsea in London.
When the Bench Is a Weapon: Trossard and Martinelli Deliver Arsenal’s Planned Three Points in Bilbao
Arsenal played a construction-kit match in Bilbao: assembled pieces for a long time, tried fits, couldn’t find the right thread — only after an hour did they find the keys to Athletic’s defense. The first half brought near-zero chances; more reconnaissance and positional control. After the break came the acceleration, and the decisive brushstrokes arrived from the bench.
Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli came on and shifted the geometry. The Brazilian needed just 36 seconds: he brought down Trossard’s long diagonal, went one-on-one with Unai Simon and rolled it under him. Later Martinelli steamrolled the right flank and teed up Trossard — 2–0, checkmate. A separate note — Viktor Gyokeres: constantly darted in behind Dani Vivian, crashed into duels, took a head bandage after clashing with Gabriel Magalhaes and still kept spark in his game.
Facts: Arsenal have conceded in only one of five this season — that rocket from Dominik Szoboszlai. Clean sheets against United, Leeds, Nottingham and Athletic — all without William Saliba. For the Basques it’s a second straight defeat (after 0–1 to Alaves), despite a 3/3 start in La Liga. Next: Arsenal host Olympiakos in London, Athletic travel to Dortmund.
A Debut Without Complexes: “Union” Take Eindhoven 3–1 — And It Could’ve Been More
Their first ever UCL group-stage game — away to PSV — and instead of timidity, clear superiority. On 7 minutes Union earned a penalty after a silly foul. Forward Anan Halayli added mind games with some verbals but handed the kick to Promise David — coolly dispatched.
The second was the antithesis of the hosts’ chaos: Anouar Ait El Hadj tore through from midfield, barely challenged — PSV fell apart after a central turnover. The Dutch improved after the break but never learned how to break Union’s defensive structure. On 81 Kevin Mac Allister (yes, Alexis’s brother) headed in a corner unmarked. Ruben van Bommel’s strike offered consolation, softened the sting, but didn’t change the truth: the Belgian club earned three points on merit.
Historical frame: previously they twice fell in the third qualifying round (to Rangers and Slavia Prague), in 2023 they reached the Europa League quarterfinals — respectable, but the UCL is a different tier. PSV enter with a rebuild: Noa Lang and Malik Tillman sold, Peter Bosz keeps the course. A second early-season defeat (after 0–2 to modest Telstar in the league) is a warning sign. Next: Union host Newcastle, PSV visit Bayer.
One Gaffe — Fewer Points: “Tottenham” — “Villarreal” 1–0; The Night the Ball Seemed to Roll In by Itself
Some nights are decided by a single moment. In the 3rd minute Villarreal keeper Luis Junior appeared to gather a routine Lucas Bergvall cross — and then spilled it. In slow motion the ball trickled over the line. The visitors never truly recovered before the break; there was almost a penalty — Xavi Simons raged that the officials deemed the handball accidental. They woke up in the second half, balanced the game — but never found the finish. That goalkeeping horror decided it all.
Context: Thomas Frank takes his first UCL win. Spurs are in good nick — despite the Bournemouth fiasco they beat Burnley, Man City and West Ham and sit third in the Premier League. Villarreal are winless in three: 1–1 with Celta, 0–2 to Atletico, and now this misfortune in London. Yet they started La Liga by thrashing opponents and running in the top three. Next: Tottenham travel to Bodø/Glimt in Norway, the Yellow Submarine host Juventus.
Fantasy Day: Points Flood From Turin, But the Best Weren’t Only the Stars
If you trusted Turin’s chaos, you were rewarded. Karim Adeyemi and Dusan Vlahovic delivered 13 points each, Kenan Yildiz added 12. But the main spice is in the “cost of efficiency.” Anouar Ait El Hadj, priced at a mere 5m, produced 11 — a dream for managers squeezing every last coin. Enzo Barrenechea of Benfica matched that 11 at a 5.5 price. Yes, level with Kylian Mbappé (11 points at 11m) — picking that combo in advance was a puzzle with an asterisk.
A note for the future — don’t forget catalyst midfielders in teams that love to surge forward. They harvest points in long transitions when the opponent coughs the ball up in the middle.
Up Next: Day Two Posters and Intrigue on the Horizon
Wednesday brings six more games of Matchday 1. The early slot features a double debut: Pafos and Nikita Khaykin’s Bodø/Glimt step into the light to test how their game models handle top-tier speed. Prime time headlines pick themselves: Bayern — Chelsea and Liverpool — Atletico — two style clashes where details in pressing and positional play will decide more than the names on the back. In parallel — PSG begin their title defense against Atalanta, another exam: the Bergamo side won’t abandon their principles and thrive on catching favorites with audacity.
