The UEFA Champions League league phase kicked off with wins for both Arsenal and Real Madrid. Arsenal secured a 2-0 away victory against Athletic Bilbao with late goals from substitutes Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard. Real Madrid, playing with 10 men for part of the match, beat Marseille 2-1 with two penalties from Kylian Mbappé, who reached his 50th goal for the club.
High-Scoring Thrillers and Historic Victories
- Juventus vs. Borussia Dortmund: The match in Turin ended in a thrilling 4-4 draw. After a goalless first half, both teams traded goals in a spectacular second half, with Dusan Vlahovic scoring a late brace to complete the comeback for Juventus.
- Tottenham Hotspur: The team secured a 1-0 win against Villarreal in London, thanks to an early own goal from the Villarreal goalkeeper.
- Historic Firsts: Two teams celebrated their first-ever wins in the Champions League proper. Qarabag from Azerbaijan came from behind to beat Benfica 3-2 in Lisbon, and Union Saint-Gilloise from Belgium won 3-1 against PSV Eindhoven.
Other Notable Moments
Real Madrid’s victory came with some drama, as they were reduced to 10 men when Dani Carvajal was sent off. Despite the setback, Mbappé’s late penalty secured the win. Arsenal’s coach Mikel Arteta praised his team’s performance, noting that they “started to grow throughout the game” and that the substitutes had a significant impact on the outcome.
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