A historic victory for Como in its first Champions League match, as the team routed Leipzig 4-1 at home in the opening game of the group stage. Tassos Douvikas was one of the standout players, scoring the Italians’ second goal—his first in the competition— while he also played a role in Como’s opening goal, scored by Baturina.
Specifically, in the 15th minute, the Croatian dribbled the ball for several meters before passing it to Douvikas, who cut back toward the box; the ball took a deflection and ended up back at Baturina’s feet; with an excellent feint, shared his opponent and then, with a cool finish, sent the ball into the net for a 1-0 lead.
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The home team continued to dominate, and in the 38th minute, the Greek center forward received a through ball from Baturina and, after leaving the opposing defender behind by using his body to perfect effect, slotted the ball home for a 2-0 lead. This brought his total to three goals this season, having already scored twice in Serie A.
AEK’s opponent essentially sealed its big win in the 54th minute with a goal by Diao, while Leipzig immediately pulled one back when Maksimović scored with an unstoppable shot in the 58th minute. However, Como had the upper hand, didn’t let the Germans get back into the game, and put the icing on the cake in the 90th minute with Perone’s goal for the final 4-1 score.
Bayern Munich – Bodø/Glimt 5-0
Bayern Munich “unlocked” Bodø/Glimt’s defense in the second half and got off to a flying start in this year’s Champions League!
The German champions dominated throughout their home match against the Norwegians, and although they failed to capitalize on the chances they created in the first half, they found a way in the second to secure a comfortable 5-0 victory!
The match began with Bayern dominating from the opening minutes and putting heavy pressure on the visitors’ defense! Bayern’s first big chance came in the 5th minute, when Haikin instinctively blocked a header by Diaz following a superb cross from Kimmich, while in the 31st minute, the Bodo/Glimt goalkeeper also made a save on a shot by Olise.
In the 35th minute, Olise hit the crossbar, and in the 40th minute, Musiala was unable to score from a very favorable position, as Haikin denied him the 1-0 lead. Bayern finally managed to open the scoring at the start of the second half, with their players… keeping possession by circulating the ball outside the visitors’ penalty area, before Musiala sent it into the net with a flawless finish!
Kompany’s team continued to dominate after scoring the goal, effectively “sealing” the three points in the 61st minute, when Olise took a free kick with a perfect cross and Kane made it 2-0 with a header, scoring in his 8th consecutive Champions League match!
In the end, Bayern managed to turn their victory into a triumph, with Davies scoring with a rocket of a shot in the 77th minute and Olise also getting his name on the scoreboard, sealing the 5-0 victory with two goals of his own, in the 83rd and 90th+2 minutes.
Manchester United – Sabah Baku 4-0
Manchester United made a spectacular return to the Champions League after a three-year absence. The “Red Devils” gave Shamba Baku no chance, winning 4-0 at Old Trafford, getting off to a perfect start in the group stage of the tournament.
Michael Carrick’s team controlled the match from the opening minutes, moving the ball around and creating several dangerous chances in front of Pokatilov’s goal. Their dominance paid off in the 27th minute, when Patrick Dorgu sent in a dangerous cross into the box and Mateus Cunha capitalized on the opportunity, opening the scoring.
The lead gave the home team even more confidence, and they continued to press and look for a second goal. That goal came in the 42nd minute, with Bruno Fernandes showcasing his quality. The Portuguese player didn’t control the ball that came to his feet inside the box; instead, he struck it directly, sending it into the net for a 2-0 lead.
In fact, United didn’t stop there. In the 45th minute, Benjamin Sesko linked up brilliantly with Brian Embo, found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, and with a superb finish, he increased the lead to 3-0, essentially “sealing” the victory before halftime.
In the second half, the home team slowed the pace, but without losing control. Samba tried to respond and had a few chances, but Manchester United remained in control and continued to create opportunities. The final blow came in the 69th minute, when Lisandro Martínez found space following a disastrous reaction by the home team’s defense and, with a cool finish, beat Pokatilov, setting the final score at 4-0.
Slavia Prague – Lens 2-3
An unbelievable finish in Prague! Lens turned the tables on Slavia and, with two goals in stoppage time, celebrated a huge 3-2 victory, getting off to the best possible start in the Champions League group stage.
Slavia had taken the lead through Sturm in the 51st minute, and despite being a man down after Konetsny’s red card, managed to hold onto its lead and make it 2-1 again through the same player in the 88th minute.
And yet, Lens wasn’t done yet. In the 90’+1’, Toven tied the game again, making it 2-2 and reigniting the excitement in the final minutes. Just two minutes later, Aguilar completed the incredible comeback, sending the ball into the net for a 3-2 lead!
*photo source: AP
