Champions League Opening Night: Mourinho's Madrid Triumphs

PARIS (FRANCE) – Jose Mourinho walked back into the Champions League and straight into a win, as Real Madrid edged Inter Milan 2-1 on a chaotic opening night of the new league phase.

Real, chasing yet another European crown, have turned again to the coach who once made his name at this level. Mourinho’s first game back in the competition with Madrid came against the club he led to glory in 2010 with that treble-winning Inter side. Sentiment ended at kick-off.

Mourinho’s Madrid pounce on Inter errors

By midway through the first half at the Bernabeu, Madrid were two up and cruising, helped by an Inter defence that repeatedly put itself in trouble.

On his 99th Champions League appearance, Kylian Mbappe punished the first mistake. Yann Bisseck misjudged the situation, Mbappe stepped in, and the Frenchman buried the opener. That strike took him to 71 goals in the competition, pulling him level with club icon Raul.

Inter then imploded again. Goalkeeper Josep Martinez tried to get cute inside his own six-yard box, attempting to turn away from Fede Valverde. The Uruguayan simply nicked the ball off him and rolled in Madrid’s second.

Carlos Augusto dragged Inter back into the contest after the break, and the visitors pushed hard. Chances came and went at both ends in a breathless finish, but Madrid clung on.

“It was a crazy game,” Mourinho told Movistar. “A game that finished 2-1 could have finished 7-6 without any problems.”

Haaland bullies Porto as City march on

In Portugal, Erling Haaland did what Erling Haaland does. Enzo Maresca’s Manchester City won 2-0 at Porto, the Norwegian deciding the tie with a ruthless second-half brace.

Two minutes after the restart, Haaland rose to meet an Enzo Fernandez cross and powered in the header. Porto chased, City waited, and then, deep into stoppage time, Haaland struck again to seal the points.

The numbers are now absurd: 59 goals in 59 Champions League appearances.

“Erling Haaland is an animal. He is a beast, so every time he is on the pitch, I'm going to look for him, and hopefully give him many more assists,” Fernandez told Amazon Prime.

It was a fourth straight win in all competitions for City, the 2023 Champions League winners, who now prepare for a heavyweight European date at home to current title-holders Paris Saint-Germain.

Villa finally find a spark

Aston Villa arrived in Belgium with their domestic form dragging them down and their attack misfiring. They left with a 3-2 victory over Club Brugge and something far more valuable: belief.

Unai Emery’s side had gone three Premier League games without scoring, but John McGinn snapped that run in style, curling into the far corner to open the scoring against the Belgian champions.

Hugo Vetlesen levelled for Brugge, only for Villa to respond almost immediately. Emiliano Buendia restored the lead, and then, two minutes before half-time, Nicolas Jackson struck what proved the decisive blow.

The summer signing raced through after goalkeeper Yann Sommer charged out of his box and failed to reach the ball, rolling in his first goal for Villa to make it 3-1.

Nicolo Tresoldi pulled one back just after the hour from the spot following a handball by Aaron Wan-Bissaka, then smacked the post as Brugge surged. Villa bent but did not break.

“We took one step forward today and it was very, very important for our confidence and stability,” Emery said.

Guirassy at both ends in Dortmund thriller

At Signal Iduna Park, Borussia Dortmund’s new campaign began in suitably dramatic fashion. Last season’s runners-up beat Villarreal 3-2, with Serhou Guirassy somehow central to everything at both ends of the pitch.

Renato Veiga’s own goal early in the second half gave Dortmund the lead, only for Santiago Mourino to head in an equaliser for the Spanish side.

The game opened up. With 10 minutes left, Guirassy drove Dortmund back in front, then coolly converted a penalty for his second and his team’s third. The night should have belonged to him.

Instead, it ended with a grimace. A Gregor Kobel save cannoned off Guirassy’s face and ricocheted into his own net, officially credited as an own goal. Dortmund still held on, but their main man finished the evening having scored twice for them and once against them.

Parrott delivers again for Betis

In Lille, Real Betis marked their return to the Champions League after 21 years away with a wild 3-2 comeback win, driven again by Troy Parrott.

Japan forward Ayase Ueda put Lille ahead, only for Marc Bartra to level. Alexsandro restored the hosts’ advantage, and once more Bartra dragged Betis back.

Then came Parrott. The Irish striker, who had hit the winner against Madrid at the weekend, struck on 53 minutes to complete the turnaround and stun the French crowd.

Lille’s night worsened late on when Ethan Mbappe, younger brother of Kylian, was sent off, leaving the home side a man down as Betis saw out a statement victory on their European return.

Marin magic for AEK

The final act of the night came in Greece. AEK Athens, champions of their domestic league, edged LASK 1-0 thanks to a razor-sharp moment from Razvan Marin.

His free-kick, hit with power and precision, settled a tight contest and banked three early points for AEK in a group phase that already looks unforgiving.

On a night of returning giants, ruthless finishers and chaotic own goals, the Champions League’s new format delivered what it always promises: drama. And this is only the first page of the story.