PSG crush Atalanta 4-0

Paris Saint-Germain began their Champions League title defence in style, while Liverpool once again left it late to snatch victory in a dramatic night of European football. Bayern Munich and Inter Milan also opened with impressive wins, while debutants Bodo/Glimt and Pafos earned valuable draws on the road.

PSG cruised to a 4-0 victory at home against Atalanta, with goals flowing despite Bradley Barcola missing a penalty. Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi starred from full-back, while Mendes got on the scoresheet in the second half. Coach Luis Enrique praised his team’s dominant display, calling it “a joy for the fans.”

Liverpool’s clash with Atletico Madrid at Anfield was a rollercoaster. Early goals from Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah put the hosts in control, but Marcos Llorente struck twice, once before halftime and again in the 81st minute to silence the crowd. True to form this season, Liverpool found a winner deep in stoppage time, with captain Virgil van Dijk rising to head home from a Dominik Szoboszlai corner. “We should have made it easier for ourselves,” admitted manager Arne Slot, though his side’s knack for late goals continues to fuel their perfect start.

Bayern Munich gained some measure of revenge for their painful 2012 final loss to Chelsea by beating the Premier League side 3-1 in Munich. Harry Kane scored twice, while Cole Palmer’s strike provided little consolation for Chelsea. Inter Milan also impressed, with Marcus Thuram netting two headed goals in a 2-0 victory away at Ajax.

Elsewhere, Norway’s champions Bodo/Glimt showed resilience by fighting back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Slavia Prague, salvaged by a dramatic 90th-minute volley from Sondre Brunstad Fet. Cypriot side Pafos, reduced to 10 men inside 30 minutes, battled to a goalless draw at Olympiakos, their first appearance in the group phase since 2017.

This season has an unusually high number of debutants, with three of the four newcomers already unbeaten on the road. Union Saint-Gilloise also impressed earlier in the week with a 3-1 win at PSV Eindhoven.

The opening round wraps up on Thursday, with six more matches including Manchester City hosting Napoli and Barcelona visiting Newcastle.