UEFA Champions League: Juventus Fight Back to Draw Thriller, Kylian Mbappé Inspires Real Madrid
The UEFA Champions League kicked off with a bang on Tuesday night, featuring a series of thrilling matches that left fans on the edge of their seats. Arsenal and Real Madrid emerged victorious in their respective openers, while Juventus and Borussia Dortmund played out a sensational eight-goal draw.
Arsenal traveled to the Basque Country to face Athletic Bilbao, eager to make a statement after last season’s semifinal exit. The Gunners delivered, securing a 2-0 victory thanks to late goals from substitutes Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard. Martinelli opened the scoring in the 72nd minute, capitalizing on a swift counterattack just moments after his introduction. Trossard added the second with a deflected shot late in the game, sealing the win.
Coach Mikel Arteta praised his team’s resilience, stating, “We started to grow throughout the game. In the second half, we were more fluent and dominant, and the finishers made the impact for us to win.”
At the Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid faced Marseille in a nail-biting encounter that ended 2-1 in favor of the home side. After falling behind to a goal from Timothy Weah, the 15-time European champions equalized through Kylian Mbappé, who converted a penalty after being fouled in the box. Despite losing Trent Alexander-Arnold to injury and Dani Carvajal to a red card, Madrid clinched victory with another penalty from Mbappé late in the game, marking his 50th goal for the club.
Reflecting on the match, Mbappé said, “For me, it’s a penalty, but I understand there are people who don’t think so. We’re all lost with this rule.”
Tottenham Hotspur, fresh from their Europa League triumph, also found success, edging Villarreal 1-0 thanks to a bizarre own goal from goalkeeper Luiz Junior. Spurs manager Thomas Frank noted, “It was a very even game that we just edged,” as his side kicked off their Champions League campaign with a crucial win.
In a match that harked back to the 1997 final, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund engaged in a breathtaking 4-4 draw. The first half ended without a goal, but the second half exploded into action. Karim Adeyemi put Dortmund ahead, only for Kenan Yildiz and Dusan Vlahovic to respond for Juventus. With the score at 4-2 in favor of Dortmund late in the game, Vlahovic scored in stoppage time, followed by a dramatic equalizer from Lloyd Kelly, ensuring the points were shared.
In other matches, Union Saint-Gilloise celebrated their first-ever Champions League win, defeating PSV Eindhoven 3-1. Meanwhile, Qarabag made history with their first victory in the Champions League proper, coming from behind to beat Benfica 3-2 in a thrilling contest.
