Como marked their first Champions League appearance with a resounding 4-1 victory over RB Leipzig, while fellow newcomers Sabah endured a 4-0 defeat away to Manchester United on Thursday.
Six-time European champions Bayern Munich began their group campaign by overwhelming Norway’s Bodo/Glimt 5-0. Fenerbahce, meanwhile, returned to the competition after a long absence and drew 1-1 at home against AS Roma.
Como’s historic qualification had created a race to bring the club’s lakeside Stadio Sinigaglia up to UEFA standards. Had the work not been completed, Cesc Fabregas’s team would have been forced to stage their home fixtures roughly 200 kilometres away at Sassuolo’s ground. Instead, they stayed in Como and celebrated their landmark occasion in emphatic fashion.
Marti Baturina broke the deadlock in the 15th minute, and Taso Douvikas extended the advantage before the interval. Assane Diao added a third soon after the restart, while Andrija Maksimovic gave Leipzig a brief glimmer of hope. Maximo Perrone restored Como’s three-goal cushion in stoppage time.
Sabah’s rise has been remarkable: the Azerbaijan champions did not exist 10 years ago, yet a domestic title carried them into the qualifying rounds, where they overcame Israel’s Hapoel Beer-Sheva to earn a place in the group stage among Europe’s leading clubs.
That progress met a severe test at Old Trafford, however, as Sabah visited Manchester United for the English side’s first Champions League campaign in two seasons. Michael Carrick’s team proved far too strong, sweeping the visitors aside.
Matheus Cunha opened the scoring in the 27th minute. Bruno Fernandes and Benjamin Sesko then struck in the closing stages of the first half, before Lisandro Martinez completed United’s four-goal haul.
Bayern cruise after early resistance
Bodo/Glimt held Bayern at bay during the opening period, but the contest changed rapidly after Jamal Musiala fired the German side ahead two minutes into the second half.
Harry Kane doubled the lead on the hour mark, scoring his 34th goal in 39 Champions League appearances for Bayern. Alphonso Davies followed with a fierce half-volley, and Michael Olise finished the job by scoring twice late on as Vincent Kompany’s side ran riot.
Roma went in front in Istanbul in the 39th minute. Donyell Malen supplied Bryan Cristante, whose bouncing shot beat Ederson. The goal was Cristante’s first in the Champions League proper, arriving 15 years after he made his competition debut for AC Milan as a 16-year-old.
Fenerbahce, appearing in the tournament for the first time in 18 years, responded three minutes after half-time. Mason Greenwood threaded the ball to Archie Brown, who lifted his finish over Roma goalkeeper Mile Svilar.
The Turkish hosts came close to taking all three points in the closing stages, but Nathan Ake’s header struck the Roma crossbar.
PSV Eindhoven avoided a sixth consecutive defeat on the opening matchday of a Champions League campaign by drawing 1-1 at home with Shakhtar Donetsk.
The Dutch side were behind at the interval after Gleiker Mendoza cut in from the flank and sent a superb low effort beyond the reach of Matej Kovar. Sergino Dest restored parity with a clever finish shortly after the restart, securing PSV a point.
Slavia Prague suffered an especially painful home defeat against Lens, conceding twice in added time to lose 3-2 despite taking the lead late in the match.
Slavia were reduced to 10 men just after half-time when Mikulas Konecny was dismissed following a tackle reviewed by VAR. Even so, Danijel Sturm put the hosts in front only minutes later.
Abdallah Sima eventually broke through for Lens, levelling the contest, but Sturm appeared to have sent the home supporters into celebration when he scored again in the 88th minute.
Lens refused to surrender. Florian Thauvin equalised in the 91st minute, and Ruben Aguilar then completed the comeback with a precise strike to snatch victory.
