In an electrifying 5-2 triumph against visitors Borussia Dortmund in Tuesday’s Champions League, Real Madrid clawed back from a deficit of two, with Vinicius Jnr shining as he scored three goals. Dortmund initially stunned the spectators at Bernabeu by notching two goals within half an hour, courtesy of Donyell Malen and Jamie Gittens. Following the interval, however, the reigning champions rejuvenated their play, first levelling the score via an Antonio Rudiger header and a short-range Vinicius shot, then propelling themselves to a lead through a Lucas Vazquez strike in the 83rd minute. Vinicius rounded off their comeback, ensuring they matched Dortmund with a total of six points from three matches.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa maintained an impeccable record in their initial Champions League season in 41 years, relishing a 2-0 victory over Bologna due to second-half goals from John McGinn and Jhon Duran. McGinn inscribed his name on the score sheet in the 55th minute, with a free kick that soared into the net, followed by Duran doubling the advantage in the 64th minute. They now find themselves leading the table provisionally in the elite European club competition, boasting nine points.
Tuesday also saw Arsenal edge past Shakhtar Donetsk with a narrow 1-0 win in the Champions League, compensating for their disappointing first defeat in their domestic season over the weekend. The victory was a scrappy one, relying on an own goal, as the hosts missed a penalty and numerous opportunities in the latter half but managed to fend off late pressures imposed by their Ukrainian rivals.
Arsenal began the game energetically, with both Brazilians – Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus – seizing promising chances prior to a serendipitous 29th-minute lead. Martinelli’s ground-level shot bounced off the post hitting the back of Shakhtar goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk, resulting in the sole goal of the match. Despite stepping up their attack post-break, Shakhtar, who have yet to secure a Champions League victory this season, exerted pressure triggering multiple errors from Arsenal, but couldn’t dispute the final score considering the missed opportunities by the hosts.
El Bilal Toure’s last-minute strike delivered VfB Stuttgart a striking 1-0 victory over Juventus, causing the latter’s first defeat of the season. Paris St Germain’s flaws were yet again revealed on the grand stage when they were forced to a 1-1 draw at home by PSV Eindhoven. First points were racked up by AC Milan this Champions League season with a 3-1 home triumph against Belgian champions Club Brugge, courtesy of Tijjani Reijnders’ double scoring in the latter half on Tuesday.
Takumi Minamino, Monaco forward, hit a brace empowering his team to trounce visitors Red Star Belgrade with a 5-1 score, leading them to accumulate seven points from their initial three matches this season. In their face-off at the Woerthersee Stadium, a commanding Sporting Lisbon managed a 2-0 away win over Sturm Graz with remarkable goals by Nuno Santos and Viktor Gyokeres in each half.
By scoring in the first half, Girona’s fullback Miguel Gutierrez and a free kick goal in the 73 minute by defender Juanpe secured a win over visitors Slovan Bratislava, making it Girona’s inaugural success in the Champions League.