Real Madrid Defeats Stuttgart 3-1, Liverpool Stuns Milan with the Same Score
Reigning champions Real Madrid started their title defense with a late 3-1 victory over Stuttgart, while Liverpool won 3-1 at the San Siro against AC Milan. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich demolished Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 in the opening round of the newly formatted UEFA Champions League.
Real Madrid’s win came through goals from Kylian Mbappé (46′), Antonio Rüdiger (83′), and Brazilian youngster Endrick (90+6′). Denis Undav netted Stuttgart’s only goal (68′).
Madrid also welcomed back Jude Bellingham, who returned from a calf injury, bolstering their midfield performance.
Milan loses at San Siro
At the San Siro, Milan took an early lead through Christian Pulisic (3′), but Liverpool responded with goals from Ibrahima Konaté (23′), captain Virgil van Dijk (41′), and Dominik Szoboszlai (67′).
This clash renewed memories of their legendary 2005 final in Istanbul, where Liverpool staged an unforgettable comeback against Milan, winning on penalties.
The two teams met again in the 2007 final, where Milan emerged victorious with a 2-1 win, securing their seventh and most recent Champions League title.
Both clubs are under new management: Paulo Fonseca took over at Milan, while Arne Slot succeeded Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool, who led the Reds to three Champions League finals during his span.
Bayern Munich’s dominates
At the Allianz Arena, Harry Kane stole the show, netting four goals in Bayern’s emphatic 9-2 victory.
Kane’s goals included a hat-trick of penalties (19′, 73′, 78′) and a fourth (57′), making him the highest-scoring English player in Champions League history with 33 goals, surpassing Wayne Rooney’s record of 30 goals.
Other Bayern goals came from Raphael Guerreiro (33′), Michael Olise (38′, 61′), Leroy Sané (85′), and Leon Goretzka (90+2′). Dinamo Zagreb’s goals were scored by Bruno Petković (49′) and Takuya Ogiwara (51′).
Bayern maintained their perfect start to the season with three wins from three matches in the local league, putting them at the top of the standings. They are determined to reclaim the Bundesliga title, which they lost to Bayer Leverkusen last season.
In the Champions League, the six-time winners face a tough group, having been drawn against Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Aston Villa from, Benfica, Shakhtar Donets, Feyenoord, and Slovan Bratislava.
Successful Return for Juventus
Juventus marked their return to the Champions League with a 3-1 win over PSV Eindhoven.
Juventus clinched the victory in the first half with two quick goals, scored within just six minutes. Turkish striker Kenan Yildiz found the net in the 21st minute, followed by American midfielder Weston McKennie in the 27th minute. In the second half, Argentine forward Nicolás González extended the lead with a third goal in the 52nd minute. PSV’s Moroccan substitute Ismael Saibari netted a consolation goal in stoppage time (90+3′).
This match marked Juventus’ return to the Champions League after a 685-day hiatus, with their previous appearance being a 2-1 loss to Paris Saint-Germain on November 2, 2022, during the group stage. Under the guidance of new coach Thiago Motta, Juventus had a strong start to the local season, securing two 3-0 victories. However, their momentum was somewhat interrupted by two consecutive goalless draws.
After a 41-year absence from the competition, Aston Villa announced their return with a convincing 3-0 victory over Young Boys in Bern.
Aston Villa, who finished fourth in the Premier League last season, dominated the match throughout. Goals were scored by Belgian player Youri Tielemans (27), Jacob Ramsey (38), and another Belgian, Amadou Onana (86).
In Lisbon, Sporting defeated Lille 2-0 with goals from Viktor Gyökeres (38′) and Zeno Debast (65′), securing an important win at home.
