Arsenal earned a 1-0 victory away at Napoli in their UEFA Champions League opening fixture on Wednesday, September 9, secured by a late strike from Martin Odegaard.
The English club controlled long periods of the match at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples but struggled to break down the Italian hosts during a scoreless opening hour. Greek international winger Christos Tzolis entered as a substitute in the 66th minute and made an immediate impact. In the 75th minute, Tzolis provided the decisive pass to Odegaard, who collected the ball outside the penalty area and fired a powerful shot into the net. Tzolis had an opportunity to double the lead in the 85th minute but missed the chance for 0-2. Arsenal held on to secure all three points and begin their campaign in the 36-team Champions League league phase with a win.
Liverpool comeback against Atletico Madrid
At Anfield, Liverpool recovered from an early deficit to defeat Spanish side Atletico Madrid 2-1 in their opening fixture. Atletico took the lead in the 17th minute when forward Julian Alvarez set up Marcos Llorente clean through one-on-one, and the midfielder finished calmly to make it 0-1 for the visitors.
Liverpool responded before half-time through midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai, who slotted home a low shot in the 40th minute following a backheel pass from Araujo. Five minutes into the second half, Alexis Mac Allister completed the turnaround for the Merseyside club. The midfielder unleashed a thunderous strike from outside the penalty box in the 50th minute, earning Liverpool a 2-1 victory.
Paris Saint-Germain dominance and Sporting victory
Reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain opened their Champions League defence with a 6-1 victory over Slovakian club Slovan Bratislava in Paris. French winger Ousmane Dembele set the tone early, opening the scoring in the 17th minute and adding a second in the 22nd minute. Forward Ferran Torres then dominated the match, scoring in the 31st, 47th, and 57th minutes to complete a hat-trick and put PSG 5-0 ahead. Mohamed Camara pulled a goal back for Slovan Bratislava in the 59th minute, before midfielder Fabian Ruiz sealed the 6-1 scoreline in the 88th minute.
In Lisbon, Portuguese side Sporting CP overcame an early setback to defeat Turkish opponents Galatasaray 3-1. Sporting fell behind in the fifth minute after defender Goncalo Inacio scored an own goal, but the hosts responded strongly. Geny Catamo equalised in the 27th minute, Luis Suarez converted a penalty in the 57th minute, and Rodrigo Salazar scored the final goal in the 63rd minute. Greek defender Georgios Vagiannidis started for Sporting before being replaced in the 84th minute, while fellow Greek international Fotis Ioannidis came on as a substitute in the 74th minute.
Wednesday's opening matchday action across Europe concluded with six matches played on September 9:
- Barcelona 5-1 Feyenoord
- Stuttgart 3-1 Viking
- Liverpool 2-1 Atletico Madrid
- Napoli 0-1 Arsenal
- Paris Saint-Germain 6-1 Slovan Bratislava
- Sporting Lisbon 3-1 Galatasaray
