Analysis from opening round of Champions League matches

The Champions League returned this week, and we broke down all the action. Check out our key takeaways and analysis from Matchday 1 below.

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Thursday

Foden back in form

Erling Haaland's incredible achievement of reaching 50 Champions League goals in just 49 appearances - by far the fastest any player has ever hit the half-century mark in the competition - deserves plenty of plaudits and attention. Of course it does. But the prolific Norwegian smashing scoring records will shock absolutely nobody. That's pretty much all he's done since moving to Manchester City. Thursday's more surprising development, as far as Pep Guardiola is concerned, was the dazzling performance of Phil Foden.

Man City had more space to exploit after an early Giovanni Di Lorenzo red card, but it was nonetheless reassuring to see Foden take over the match and be the creative fulcrum for his team. The 25-year-old was mostly a nonfactor last season, sparking concern that his career could fizzle out, but this is still a supremely talented playmaker who is only a year removed from winning the PFA Player of the Year award. Foden crafted a career-high eight chances in City's tournament-opening win, including a delicious little chipped pass that teed up Haaland to score his record-breaking goal. With Kevin De Bruyne gone - at Napoli, no less - and Rayan Cherki injured, Foden rediscovering his best form is critical for City to return to their loftiest heights.

Rashford finds his smile

Marcus Rashford appears to have put his acrimonious Manchester United exit behind him. The Englishman, starting in place of injured Barcelona talisman Lamine Yamal, powered his team to victory Thursday with two goals - the second an exquisite strike - in a nine-minute spell at St. James' Park. Rashford hadn't scored in the Champions League since 2021 going into the match, an indication of how badly both he and Manchester United struggled as that relationship fell apart. The look on Rashford's face after each of his goals Thursday was some combination of pure joy, excitement, and relief. More telling, though, was the response of his teammates. The Barca players were beaming as they ran over to celebrate with the 27-year-old, an indication that he's acclimated quickly to his new squad.

Rashford, the first Englishman to score for Barcelona in Europe's premier competition since Gary Lineker, has truly landed in an ideal situation after leaving Old Trafford on another initial loan. He looks motivated to stick it to his naysayers, and, if he continues to play like this, he'll get plenty of chances to make his mark on the biggest club stage ahead of next year's World Cup. Thomas Tuchel being in attendance Thursday certainly didn't hurt Rashford's chances of solidifying his place in the England squad.

Don't concede fouls to Leverkusen

There's an air of inevitability when Scott Twine, who plays in England's second tier with Bristol City, stands over a dead ball, but otherwise high levels of crowd expectation or trepidation before direct free-kicks has felt rare in European football's recent history. Lionel Messi left for Major League Soccer over two years ago, James Ward-Prowse is fading at West Ham United, and dusted-off clips of Juninho Pernambucano and David Beckham don't quite fill the void.

So, the time feels right for Bayer Leverkusen's Alejandro Grimaldo to establish himself as the elite game's foremost free-kick taker. Omar Marmoush was the standout specialist in Germany last season, scoring one in three consecutive matches for Eintracht Frankfurt, two months before his transfer to Manchester City. Now, Spanish wing-back Grimaldo has gone one better: scoring two against Frankfurt last Friday before he arrowed an excellent hit into the top corner at FC Copenhagen.

You can't give up free-kicks within 45 yards of your goal against Leverkusen. Grimaldo can whip up the exact amount of dip required to clear walls and hit the target from around the edge of the box, and enough power and swerve to beat goalkeepers from much further out.

Wednesday

Last-gasp Liverpool

Liverpool love the drama. The Reds have won all five of their matches this season - not including the Community Shield - thanks to goals in the final 10 minutes, with Virgil van Dijk's stoppage-time header Wednesday quelling Atletico Madrid's comeback bid at Anfield. "Slot Time" doesn't have nearly the same ring to it as "Kloppage Time" did under Jurgen Klopp, but Arne Slot has managed to retain the squad's heart and desire despite overseeing significant personnel changes since replacing the beloved former bench boss.

But Slot knows these dramatic wins can't become the expectation every week. Liverpool were in complete control and threatened to run rings around Atletico after scoring two goals within the first six minutes of their Champions League opener. Then they took their foot off the gas and, somewhat inexplicably, let the struggling Spanish side back into the contest. If the trend of failing to put games away continues, Liverpool will eventually get punished.

Atletico lacking true identity

Atletico Madrid's identity has fallen away in recent years. Their tactical discipline and bite are nowhere near the levels that earned Diego Simeone grudging admiration or simply downright hate from rival fans earlier in his 14-year reign. The problem? A defensive coach is attempting to bring in a more attacking approach, and it hasn't worked. Atletico have increased their possession numbers in each of the past three La Liga seasons, so it makes sense that their tackles and interceptions dropped at the same time. But their numbers for shots and key passes also fell over that spell. Simeone is struggling to form a side that takes control and wins.

This season, just like the last, started with hope after a transfer window that appeared to strengthen the Atleti lineup and greatly improve their depth. But unlike last season, it's taken five matches, rather than around seven months, to kill that good feeling; Atleti have just one win on the campaign so far. The manager's tirade (and subsequent red card) after Liverpool's late winner was the closest thing we've seen to the "old" Simeone in some time. Maybe that will help him - and the club - rediscover an identity that served Atletico so well in the past.

Bayern put down early marker

Bayern Munich made an early statement by overpowering Chelsea in their Champions League opener. The German giants dominated almost every key statistical indicator, producing more expected goals, total shots, shots on target, big chances, and possession en route to their victory. Harry Kane, whose brace made him only the third player in history to score at least 20 Champions League goals with two different teams, has started the season on a tear. The England star already has 10 goals on the campaign, and his prolific tally now sits at 95 goals in 102 appearances for Bayern. Joshua Kimmich continues to be the game's most understated star, while Michael Olise is rapidly becoming an unstoppable creative force. The 3-1 scoreline probably undersold Bayern's dominance Wednesday.

Vincent Kompany's team should only get better as the season goes along. Bayern are still without German sensation Jamal Musiala and left-back Alphonso Davies, two of the very best players at their respective positions. Both are aiming to return to action before the calendar flips to 2026, which should, in theory, give them plenty of time to regain full fitness before the business end of the season arrives. Bayern are a serious threat to win this competition for the first time since 2020.

Masters of their own demise

For all of Bayern Munich's attacking brilliance Wednesday, Chelsea certainly helped grease the wheels for their German hosts. Trevoh Chalobah scored an own goal, Moises Caicedo conceded an avoidable penalty, and Malo Gusto put the ball on a platter for Bayern's final goal. Chalobah was caught in an unfortunate situation, as Dayot Upamecano probably would've poked the ball home had the Chelsea defender not tried to intervene. But Enzo Maresca's team got a harsh lesson about the step up in quality that's necessary after playing in the Conference League last year.

With all due respect to the likes of Shamrock Rovers, Legia Warsaw, and Djurgarden - all teams that Chelsea beat last season en route to winning the third-tier competition - you can make simple errors in those games and not get punished. Bayern Munich, and other true Champions League contenders, won't be so forgiving. The learning curve could be steep for this young side.

PSG cope with injuries

No Ousmane Dembele, no Desire Doue, no problem. Paris Saint-Germain kicked off their Champions League title defense in style Wednesday, totally overwhelming Atalanta despite missing their Ballon d'Or contender and last season's breakout star. Luis Enrique started Senny Mayulu, a 19-year-old central midfielder, in the nominal No. 9 role, and it didn't make a lick of difference. The Spanish tactician has always preached the value and importance of the collective system over any single individual, and that shone through again with the team's top forward absent due to injury.

Atalanta, not nearly as menacing with Ivan Juric on the bench in place of Gian Piero Gasperini, were dealing with several key absences of their own. That included star forward Ademola Lookman, who continues to be at odds with the club after trying, and failing, to push through a summer transfer. But the manner in which PSG swatted them aside was still impressive and an important message to the rest of the field that the reigning champs, no matter who's available, won't easily relinquish their crown.

Thuram taking the reins

Marcus Thuram arrived at Inter as the replacement for Romelu Lukaku, inheriting the Belgian's role as sidekick to star striker and captain Lautaro Martinez. But the Frenchman, building on what he showed at the end of last season, continues to make the case that he's actually the Batman to the Argentine's Robin. Inter's attack cratered late in the campaign when Thuram was sidelined with injury, and the Nerazzurri are relying on the 28-year-old to do the heavy lifting up front to begin the new campaign.

Thuram's brace against Ajax gave him five goals - to go along with one assist - in just four games this season. Martinez, meanwhile, hasn't found the net since Inter's Serie A opener and has looked jaded after limited downtime in the summer. He was rested by Cristian Chivu on Wednesday, and Inter's attack was still able to get the job done, thanks to Thuram. That newfound ability to rotate bodes well for a team that was physically spent and hit a wall at the end of last season.

Tuesday

Arsenal boast serious strength in depth

Mikel Arteta must feel pretty clever. Gabriel Martinelli scored 36 seconds after replacing Eberechi Eze at San Mames, squeezing a shot through Athletic Bilbao's Unai Simon after impressively settling a lofted pass with a series of neat touches as he sprinted toward goal. And the assist came from Leandro Trossard, who'd only been on the pitch for around seven minutes.

The effectiveness of Arteta's second-half changes was further emphasized when Trossard put the result beyond doubt following a Martinelli cutback. Arteta calls his substitutes "finishers" for a reason.

The 2-0 victory owes plenty to Arsenal's squad building in recent transfer windows. Last season, traveling to a tricky away day without Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard would've caused concern. But now the Gunners can lean on their much-improved depth with greater confidence. Arsenal pulled off a similar trick over the weekend, easing to a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest while Declan Rice started on the bench. Resting the English midfielder was a luxury that Arsenal couldn't afford before this summer.

"The Kylian Mbappe team"

Pep Guardiola caused controversy when he referred to Tottenham Hotspur as "the Harry Kane team" in October 2017. He might need to restrain himself from leveling a similar accusation at Real Madrid when Manchester City travel to the Spanish capital in December.

Kylian Mbappe saved Los Blancos from making a poor start to the league phase, scoring both goals from the penalty spot in a 2-1 win over Marseille. Real Madrid were uncharacteristically rattled during the match. Dean Huijsen lost his cool after a hack from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Dani Carvajal, who came on for an injured Trent Alexander-Arnold, was sent off for thrusting his head toward goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli. This isn't the first time Mbappe has carried his team this season: His spot-kick earned an unconvincing narrow victory over Osasuna in Madrid's La Liga opener, and he inspired his side to three points Saturday against Real Sociedad.

Madrid mostly relying on one player isn't sustainable - even if that player is as good as Mbappe. Jude Bellingham is back in contention after his shoulder surgery, so Xabi Alonso will be hoping the Englishman, along with Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, and his other attackers, can quickly find some consistency and lighten Mbappe's load.

Juve playing with fire

For better or worse, Juventus might be the most entertaining team in Europe right now. Who expected that coming into the season? The Bianconeri followed up Saturday's manic 4-3 league win over rivals Inter Milan with an equally surreal draw against Borussia Dortmund. All eight goals Tuesday came in the second half, including a Kenan Yildiz stunner and Juve's two stoppage-time tallies that turned what looked like a surefire loss into a potentially important point come the end of the league phase.

The exhilarating finish once again showed the squad's never-say-die attitude, but it's also not a recipe for sustained success. If you have to score four goals every time you step on the pitch to win - or even just draw - you're going to be in big trouble when the goals inevitably dry up. "If we continue to concede goals like we did tonight, we'll never see the end," manager Igor Tudor, a former defender, correctly observed after the breathless stalemate.

The current iteration of this team is almost unrecognizable for a club that's historically had success building from the back outward. That's somewhat by design after a summer spent overhauling the attack and retaining Dusan Vlahovic, who's started the season like a house on fire and inspired Tuesday's late comeback. But this top-heavy squad needs to find some balance, especially with a trip to Real Madrid on the horizon in the league phase.

Underdogs have their day

Royale Union Saint-Gilloise and Qarabag both made history Tuesday.

Union's rise has been meteoric. They were promoted to Belgium's second division in 2015 and into the Belgian Pro League in 2021 before winning the country's top domestic cup in 2024 and conquering the first tier a year later. It's not over: Union won their Champions League debut at Dutch titleholders PSV Eindhoven with a scarcely believable 3-1 victory.

Qarabag appeared in the Champions League group stage in 2017, taking two points from Atletico Madrid but getting nothing from their matches against Chelsea and Roma. Finally, they got their first Champions League win - and the first for an Azerbaijani team - after fighting back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at Benfica. The result marks just the second time that the Portuguese giants have lost a Champions League match after holding a two-goal lead, with the previous occasion happening only in January against Barcelona.

Benfica sacked Bruno Lage after the collapse to Qarabag and are reportedly lining up veteran Jose Mourinho as his successor.