Manchester City and Barcelona both hosted the first game of the 2023-2024 UEFA Champions League group stage on September 20 at daybreak (Vietnam time). With only Red Star Belgrade and Antwerp standing in their way, experts are predicting lopsided triumphs.

All three of these things will remain with them, each in its own unique way.

Man City, the defending European champions, had to come back against a Serbian team despite controlling possession of the ball for 70% of the game. The home team’s 37 shots throughout the game were indicative of their superiority.

Man City came closest to scoring in the first half, but Erling Haaland’s header was saved by the crossbar by the great Omri Glazer. Osman Bukari scored for the visitors after 45 minutes to give them a surprise lead.

It was the first time a goalkeeper had made 10 or more saves in a Champions League encounter since Kamil Grabara of Copenhagen in October 2022, when Glazer made a total of 13. Hello, Man City!

Goals started piling up in the second half, and Glazer was helpless to stop them. Rodri, who scored in the championship game last June against Inter Milan, brought the score to 3-2 after Julián lvarez had put the team up 2-0 in the 47th and 60th minutes. scored in the 73rd minute to bring the game back to life. In the end, Man City prevailed 3-1.

RB Leipzig prevailed 3-1 over Young Boys Stadium in another Group G match.

In contrast to Man City’s 37 shots and 3 goals, Barcelona’s 22 shots found the back of the net 9 times.

Maintaining his fine form, Joao Felix scored twice, giving his team an early lead in the 11th minute and a decisive goal in the 66th. In the 19th minute, the Portuguese player assisted Robert Lewandowski.

With this goal, the Polish striker became only the third player in Champions League history (after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi) to score 100 times in the tournament (including qualifying).

Jelle Bataille and a rookie player named Gavi each scored one of the last two goals. After a 5-0 victory at the Shakhtar Donetsk Stadium, Barcelona topped Group H because to their superior goal differential over Porto’s 3-1 victory at the same venue.

Celtic fell 2-0 at Feyenoord Stadium, while Lazio and Atletico Madrid played to a 1-1 draw.