In Manchester, Pep Guardiola‘s City were stunned when Red Star’s Osman Bukari opened the scoring in first half stoppage time.
Manchester City crushed an early dread to get their titleholders League defence off to a solid launch on Tuesday but nine- man Celtic endured a rough night in Rotterdam. Barcelona cruised once Antwerp and Kylian Mbappe helped Paris- Saint Germain to an opening palm on a breathless morning to the group stage of Europe’s top club competition. Newcastle returned to the high table of European football for the first time in two decades with a battling goalless draw against AC Milan at the San Siro and Lazio seized an equaliser deep in injury time to hold Atletico Madrid.
In Manchester, Pep Guardiola’s City were stunned when Red Star’s Osman Bukari opened the scoring in first half cessation time.
But Julian Alvarez continued his foamy early season form by levelling just two twinkles after the break.
The Argentine also got some help from Red Star goalkeeper Omri Glazer as he flopped at Alvarez’s free- kick to allow the ball to fly into the far corner.
Rodri rounded off a 3- 1 palm with a composed finish 17 twinkles from time.
Still,” said Guardiola, who was frustrated at his side’s finishing,” If we scored two pretensions beforehand in the beginning it would’ve been fully different.
“Having 22 (first- half) shots on thing means you’re playing really good. It has to be the responsibility of the people in front to score the pretensions.”
City are next down to RB Leipzig, who partake top place in Group E after a 3- 1 palm at Swiss titleholders youthful Boys.
Mohamed Simaken earned the distinction of scoring the first thing of the group stages with the2023/24 competition only three twinkles old.
The French- born protector’s title put Leipzig into a lightning lead in Berne but Elia levelled for the Swiss hosts before Xaver Schlager and Benjamin Sesko wrapped up the palm for the Austrian callers.
In Catalonia Joao Felix struck doubly as Barcelona flexed their muscles with a crushing 5- 0 palm over Royal Antwerp to show their determination to be considered among Europe’s elite formerly again.
After successive humiliating group stage eliminations Barcelona are hopeless to go deep in this season’s competition, last winning it eight times agone.
Felix shone for the Spanish titleholders on a perambulation on a warm night in the Catalan capital, helped on their way by an own thing, with Robert Lewandowski and Gavi also scoring.
That lifted them top of Group H from Porto, 3- 1 winners over Shakhtar Donetsk.
Barca’s palm followed a 5- 0 thrashing of Real Betis on Saturday, leading trainer Xavi Hernandez to say” I suppose these last two games are the stylish position we’ve shown with me as trainer– it’s the path to follow.”
At Parc des tycoons, PSG may have lost Neymar and Lionel Messi over the summer but they held on to Mbappe who set them up for a 2- 0 palm over Borussia Dortmund.
The French titleholders went ahead four twinkles after the break when Mbappe scored a spot- kick awarded for a Niklas Suele handball.
Achraf Hakimi added a memorable alternate, and PSG could have won the Group F hassle by a far more handsome periphery in the end.
“It was an nearly perfect evening,” purred new trainer Luis Enrique.
PSG’s coming date is at Newcastle, whose director Eddie Howe was proud of his side’s dogged return to the competition against seven- time European lords AC Milan.
Howe was the happier of the two directors after taking a point from the clash at the San Siro as his platoon were substantially on the aft bottom against last season’s losing semi-finalists.
“Surely pride in result and the performance and the intelligence shown,” Howe told journalists.
Over in Rotterdam a” plaintively disappointed” Celtic director Brendan Rodgers was left to bemoan the” inexperience” of two players transferred off in their 2- 0 loss to Feyenoord but said the Scottish titleholders had proved they could be competitive.
Midway through the alternate half protector Gustaf Lagerbielke was shown a alternate unheroic card after pulling back Brazilian striker Igor Paixao in the box. He was slightly down the lair when substitute Odin Thiago Holm also saw red for a superstuds up late challenge.
“Unfortunately for us, we got the two players transferred off and it’s a delicate position 11 v 11, but 11 v nine is really delicate,” said Rodgers who was inspired by the” spirit and intelligence” of the nine men left on the pitch.
On Wednesday, record 14- time winners Real Madrid host German debutants Union Berlin, and Bayern Munich with Harry Kane welcome Manchester United who are seeking solace in Europe after a disquieting launch to the Premier League season. Know More Latest Football News…
