Real Madrid triumphs on the inaugural night of the Champions League, with Mbappe netting two goals; substitutes from Arsenal provide the competition.
Real Madrid Record 200th Champions League Victory
Real Madrid secured a memorable 3-1 win over Olympique de Marseille in the Champions League, marking their 200th victory in the competition since its rebranding in the early 1990s. The victory also marked the first win for Xabi Alonso as the coach of Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, who joined Real Madrid this season, made his Champions League debut for the club, but his outing was short-lived due to an apparent muscle injury. The match saw two penalties for Kylian Mbappe, taking his total to 50 goals in 64 matches with Real Madrid.
The first penalty was awarded due to a foul on Rodrygo, and the second was given for a handball by a defender. Mbappe converted both penalties to give Real Madrid a 2-0 lead. Leandro Trossard doubled the lead for Arsenal 15 minutes later, while Timothy Weah put Marseille ahead early in the game. However, Gabriel Martinelli scored less than a minute after coming on for Arsenal to secure a 2-1 win for the London club.
Elsewhere, Union Saint-Gilloise made a memorable debut in the Champions League, winning 3-1 against PSV Eindhoven. The first goal of the season's competition was a penalty kick converted by Canada international Promise David for Union. Argentine defender Kevin Mac Allister scored the third goal for Union in the 81st minute.
An own goal from goalkeeper Luiz Junior gave Tottenham a 1-0 win over Villarreal, while Borussia Dortmund and Juventus drew 4-4 in Turin. Dusan Vlahovic scored one goal in stoppage time and set up the equalizer for Lloyd Kelly for Juventus.
Unfortunately, the match between Union and PSV was marred by incidents before the game, as Spanish police clashed with Marseille fans. However, the situation was quickly controlled. In another incident, Dani Carvajal was sent off in the 72nd minute for headbutting Marseille goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli.
Arsenal's substitutes were decisive in their 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao, with Martinelli and Trossard providing the assists on each other's goals. Viktor Gyokeres, Arsenal's prized signing, missed a golden chance shortly after the break. Ruben van Bommel scored for PSV in the 90th minute, ending their unbeaten streak of 11 group or league matches in UEFA competition.
In the other match, another error by Ricardo Pepi led to Union's second goal before the break. The match ended 3-1 in favour of Union, making it a historic night for the Belgian club in their Champions League debut.
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