Rounds up of all action from the opening night (Tuesday) of UEFA Champions League Matchday 5.
Sparta Praha 0-6 Atlético de Madrid
Atlético Madrid delivered a commanding performance in Prague, cruising to a dominant victory with a powerful attacking display. Julián Alvarez was the star of the show, scoring a brilliant free-kick in the first half before adding another goal after the break. In between, Marcos Llorente’s expertly delivered cross-shot put Atleti in a commanding position just before the hour mark.
The visitors continued to press forward relentlessly, and substitute Antoine Griezmann marked his milestone 100th UEFA Champions League appearance with a clinical low finish. Fellow substitute Ángel Correa also made his mark, scoring twice within a four-minute span late in the game to complete a resounding win.
Player of the Match: Julián Alvarez (Atlético de Madrid)
Slovan Bratislava 2-3 AC Milan
Christian Pulišić put Milan ahead in the 21st minute, finishing with confidence after collecting a precise pass from Tammy Abraham. However, the hosts responded quickly, leveling the score just three minutes later as Tigran Barseghyan chipped the ball past goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
Milan regained the lead in the second half, with Rafael Leão scoring a brilliant dink, before Tammy Abraham pounced on a misjudged back pass from David Strelec to extend their advantage. The hosts briefly threatened a comeback when substitute Nino Marcelli hammered in a powerful strike, but their hopes were dashed when Marko Tolić was shown a red card.
Player of the Match: Rafael Leão (Milan)
Florian Wirtz played a starring role as Leverkusen triumphed over Salzburg in a dominant performance at home. Wirtz opened the scoring with an early penalty, and just minutes later, Alejandro Grimaldo delivered a perfectly placed free-kick to extend Leverkusen’s lead to two goals within the first 11 minutes.
Wirtz struck again in the 30th minute with a well-placed low shot, further solidifying his influence on the match. In the second half, Patrik Schick and Aleix Garcia both got on the scoresheet with their first-ever goals in the competition, sealing a comprehensive victory for the hosts.
Player of the Match: Florian Wirtz (Leverkusen)
Atalanta claimed an impressive victory, with Charles De Ketelaere and Mateo Retegui both netting braces to lead the charge. Retegui opened the scoring with a clinical finish, but the hosts quickly equalized through a header from Silvère Ganvoula.
The game turned in Atalanta’s favor when De Ketelaere and Sead Kolasinac struck in quick succession, giving the visitors a 3-1 lead. Retegui added a second before halftime, taking advantage of a well-placed cross to make it 4-1. De Ketelaere then completed his double in the second half, before Lazar Samardžić sealed the win with a stunning solo effort.
Player of the Match: Mateo Retegui (Atalanta)
Robert Lewandowski’s brace, including his milestone 100th UEFA Champions League goal, and a stunning strike from Dani Olmo powered Barcelona to an 11th consecutive home victory across all competitions. Lewandowski opened the scoring with a penalty, celebrating his landmark goal, before Olmo dazzled with a brilliant piece of footwork to double the lead.
Lewandowski wasn’t done yet, adding another in stoppage time. He latched onto a precise pass from Alejandro Balde, controlling the ball beautifully before finishing with composure for Barcelona’s third.
Player of the Match: Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona)
Bayern München 1-0 Paris Saint-Germain
Minjae Kim’s decisive header helped Bayern maintain their flawless defensive streak, extending their run of seven consecutive wins without conceding across all competitions. The South Korean defender met Joshua Kimmich’s in-swinging corner with a powerful header, sending the ball into the roof of the net after Paris failed to clear the danger.
Paris were further hampered when Ousmane Dembélé received a second yellow card just before the hour, leaving his team a man down. Despite Bayern’s dominance, Paris goalkeeper Matvei Safonov kept the scoreline respectable, denying Jamal Musiala with a superb fingertip save to deny him from a powerful shot that rattled the post.
Player of the Match: Minjae Kim (Bayern)
nter surged to the top of the league phase with a hard-fought victory over Leipzig, who are still searching for their first point. The decisive moment came in the 27th minute when Castello Lukeba inadvertently turned Federico Dimarco’s free-kick into his own net, giving the hosts the lead.
After the break, Denzel Dumfries had a chance to double the advantage but fired wide, while Leipzig’s Antonio Nusa was thwarted by a fine save from Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer. With the defense holding firm, the Nerazzurri recorded their fifth consecutive clean sheet in the competition, solidifying their place at the top.
Player of the Match: Piotr Zieliński (Inter)
Feyenoord produced a stunning comeback after being 3-0 down, salvaging a point with three late goals in a dramatic finish against City. Erling Haaland’s brace and a deflected effort from İlkay Gündoğan had given the hosts a commanding lead early on.
However, Feyenoord refused to give up, with Anis Hadj Moussa capitalizing on sloppy defending to pull one back for the visitors. Santiago Giménez then got on the score sheet, further narrowing the gap. The match culminated in a thrilling finale when Dávid Hancko leveled the score, heading in from Igor Paixão’s precise cross, sending the Feyenoord fans into raptures.
Player of the Match: Anis Hadj Moussa (Feyenoord)
Arsenal delivered a commanding performance in Lisbon, securing a comprehensive win with a series of clinical goals. Gabriel Martinelli opened the scoring early with a simple tap-in, followed by Kai Havertz, who finished off a fine team move. Just before the break, Gabriel added a third with a header from a set-piece to put the visitors in firm control.
Sporting responded after the interval and pulled one back through Gonçalo Inácio’s header, but Arsenal quickly regained their dominance. Bukayo Saka converted a penalty to restore the lead, before Leandro Trossard sealed the win with a header off a rebound.
Player of the Match: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
SOURCE: http://uefa.com
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