French side Monaco pulled off a shock 2-1 victory against 10-man Barcelona in the Champions League on Thursday, while Arsenal secured a goalless draw away to Europa League holders Atalanta, thanks to a stunning double-save by goalkeeper David Raya.
Barcelona, who have made a perfect start to their La Liga campaign, were hampered early on by Eric Garcia’s red card in the 11th minute for a last-man foul on Takumi Minamino. Monaco quickly capitalised on their numerical advantage, with Maghnes Akliouche firing them into the lead just five minutes later.
Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal equalised in the 28th minute, cutting in from the right and unleashing a precise left-footed strike. However, Monaco sealed the win in the final 20 minutes with a goal from George Ilenikhena.
In Italy, Arsenal’s campaign kicked off with a 0-0 draw against Atalanta, largely thanks to David Raya’s heroic efforts. Six minutes after half-time, Mateo Retegui’s penalty was saved by Raya, who dived to his right to keep the spot-kick out. The Spaniard quickly recovered to make a second incredible save, clawing the rebound off the goal-line.
Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid secured a dramatic 2-1 win against RB Leipzig, with Jose Maria Gimenez’s 90th-minute header sparking wild celebrations at the Metropolitano. Benjamin Sesko had opened the scoring for Leipzig in the fourth minute, but Antoine Griezmann equalised before setting up Gimenez’s late winner with a delicate cross.
Also, Bayer Leverkusen made a strong statement in their Champions League opener, thrashing Feyenoord 4-0 away. Florian Wirtz scored twice on his debut in the competition, while Alex Grimaldo added a third, and an own goal from Feyenoord goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther wrapped up the win before half-time.
Meanwhile, French club Brest celebrated their first-ever European appearance with a 2-1 win over Austria’s Sturm Graz. Playing at Guingamp’s ground due to UEFA regulations, Brest went ahead through Hugo Magnetti before an own-goal levelled the score just before the break. Abdallah Sima’s clinical finish in the 56th minute secured the win for Brest.
In Serbia, Benfica claimed a 2-1 victory over Red Star Belgrade, with Turkish duo Kerem Akturkoglu and Orkun Kokcu providing first-half goals to secure the points.
The second round of Champions League group matches is set for October 1 and 2, with Arsenal hosting Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich visiting Aston Villa, and reigning champions Real Madrid travelling to Lille.
