The UEFA Champions League returned with plenty of goals and a fair share of surprises, including a shock away victory for Qarabağ over SL Benfica and a historic win for Royale Union SG against PSV Eindhoven.
On the opening day of the group stage, Arsenal showed no signs of nerves as they comfortably beat Athletic Bilbao 2–0 in Spain, while at the same time the Belgian side Royale Union SG claimed their first-ever Champions League victory, defeating PSV Eindhoven 3–1 away from home.
Another major upset came from Qarabağ, who overturned Benfica 3–2 in Lisbon, becoming the first club from Azerbaijan ever to win a group-stage match in the competition.
Elsewhere, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund played out a thrilling 4–4 draw, while Real Madrid edged Marseille 2–1 despite the sending off of Dani Carvajal. Finally, Tottenham capitalised on an own goal from Villarreal to secure a 1–0 win and take all three points.
