The restructured Champions League witnessed a flurry of goals and dominant performances on Tuesday, with Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona, and Manchester City securing emphatic victories.
Karim Adeyemi stole the show for Dortmund, netting a first-half hat-trick as they thrashed Celtic 7-1 at home. The German side’s attacking prowess was on full display, with Adeyemi’s goals complemented by strikes from Jude Bellingham, Giovanni Reyna, and Donyell Malen.
Barcelona also opened their account with a comfortable 5-0 home win over Young Boys. Robert Lewandowski, the former Bayern Munich striker, broke the deadlock before Memphis Depay, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Ousmane Dembélé added to the tally.
Manchester City, held to a draw by Inter Milan in their opener, bounced back with a 4-0 victory at Slovan Bratislava. Erling Haaland continued his impressive Champions League record, scoring his 42nd goal in just 41 appearances. İlkay Gündoğan, Phil Foden, and Riyad Mahrez also found the net for the English champions.
Arsenal, under the guidance of former PSG assistant Mikel Arteta, outclassed their former boss’s team with a 2-0 win in Paris. Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka scored in the first half, while PSG’s gamble of leaving out Ousmane Dembélé backfired.
Despite Dortmund’s impressive start, their fans voiced their opposition to the new Champions League format, which has expanded the competition to 36 teams and replaced the group stage with a league system. They displayed a tifo criticizing UEFA’s decision, arguing that it has not led to more evenly matched games.
Other notable results included Inter Milan’s 4-0 win over Red Star Belgrade, Brest’s 4-0 away victory at Salzburg, and Bayer Leverkusen’s 1-0 triumph over AC Milan. Mehdi Taremi, the Iranian forward, scored a penalty and set up two goals for Inter, while Abdallah Sima netted twice for Brest.
