Manchester United continued to experience bitter setbacks as they succumbed to Bayern Munich on the opening day of the Champions League, while Arsenal marked their return with an emphatic victory.

 

On the night of September 20 and into the early hours of September 21, the Champions League unfolded with riveting matches in the group stage’s initial fixtures.

In Group A, Bayern Munich secured a thrilling 4-3 victory against Manchester United at their home ground, the Allianz Arena. Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry, Harry Kane, and Mathys Tel all contributed goals, propelling the Bavarian squad to triumph. In response, Manchester United’s goals came courtesy of Rasmus Hojlund and Casemiro, who scored twice.

 

This outcome extended Bayern Munich’s unbeaten streak in the Champions League group stage to a record-breaking 35 matches (32 wins and 3 draws). Moreover, Bayern has emerged victorious in all of their last 20 Champions League opening fixtures, a feat surpassing their closest rivals by 8 matches.

Of the recent encounters with English clubs in the Champions League at the Allianz Arena, Bayern has claimed victory in 7 out of 9 matches (1 draw and 1 loss). Only Liverpool (who won 3-1) and Manchester City (who secured a 1-1 draw) have managed to earn points when facing Bayern on their home turf.

 

This opening-season victory propelled Bayern Munich to the top of the group standings, following a 2-2 draw between Galatasaray and Copenhagen in their previous match.

Conversely, Manchester United’s defeat marked their third consecutive match without a win and their fourth loss in their last five matches. Following this match, Coach Erik ten Hag and his team will have three days to prepare before facing Burnley in the Premier League at Turf Moor. In Group B, Arsenal made a triumphant return to the Champions League stage with an impressive 4-0 victory over PSV Eindhoven.

Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Jesus, and Martin Odegaard each found the net, securing a resounding triumph for the London-based Gunners. This exuberant victory granted Arsenal their first three points of the campaign, propelling them to the top of Group B standings after the inaugural match of the 2023-24 Champions League season.

Simultaneously, defending Europa League champions Sevilla were held to a 1-1 draw by their opponents Lens in their match. In Group C, despite their higher rating, Real Madrid faced a hard-fought battle to secure a 1-0 victory against Union Berlin at the Bernabeu.

 

Rookie sensation Jude Bellingham continued to shine with a 90+4-minute goal that secured three points for the Spanish giants on opening day. This result extended Coach Carlo Ancelotti’s team’s winning streak this season to six matches. They had previously won all three of their domestic league matches, firmly placing them at the top of the table with a perfect 15 points.

In another Group C encounter, Napoli emerged victorious with a 2-1 away win against Braga. Giovanni Di Lorenzo opened the scoring for Napoli at the end of the first half, but Braga managed to equalize 1-1 through Bruma in the 84th minute. However, luck favored the Italian side as Braga defender Sikou Niakate inadvertently scored an own goal, sealing a 2-1 victory for Napoli.

 

Following this result, both Real Madrid and Napoli secured three points, each with a goal difference of +1 after their opening match. However, Napoli temporarily held the top position due to a higher goal tally. In the highly anticipated upcoming match on October 4, Napoli will face Real Madrid in Italy.

In Group D, Inter Milan endured further disappointment as they earned just one point in their away match against Real Sociedad. Inter Milan fought hard and managed to level the score 1-1 in the 87th minute, thanks to a goal from Lautaro Martinez, after initially trailing 1-0 following an early strike by Brais Mendez.

Meanwhile, FC Salzburg surprised everyone by securing a 2-0 victory on Benfica’s turf, with goals courtesy of Roko Simic and Oscar Gloukh. This surprising win propelled the Austrian team to the top of Group D with three points, while Inter Milan and Real Sociedad shared the second position, and Benfica found themselves at the bottom of the group.