Nine players scored two goals in the opening round. Among them, Dusan Vlahovic had the best efficiency, netting twice in 31 minutes. The Serbian forward came off the bench in the second half and shone, including a goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time, helping Juventus draw 4-4 with Dortmund.

Marcus Rashford celebrates a goal during Barca's 2-1 victory over Newcastle at St James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK on 18/9/2025. Photo: AP

Marcus Rashford also stood out with a brace, propelling Barca to a 2-1 win at Newcastle. In this match, the English forward led Barca in shots (6), touches in the opposition box (10), dribbles (5), and ball recoveries (6). Rashford became the first Barca player to achieve these statistics in a Champions League match since Lionel Messi in 2015.

Kylian Mbappe scored two penalties to give Real a 2-1 victory over Marseille, despite being a man down after Dani Carvajal received a red card in the 72nd minute. Fellow Frenchman Marcus Thuram also netted twice, helping reigning runners-up Inter Milan defeat hosts Ajax 2-0.

Kylian Mbappe (white jersey) takes a shot during Real's 2-1 victory over Marseille at the Bernabeu Stadium, Madrid, Spain on 16/9/2025. Photo: AP

At the Allianz Arena, Harry Kane scored a penalty and then curled in a second goal to secure Bayern a 3-1 victory over Chelsea. The English striker increased his tally to 95 goals in 102 appearances for Bayern and reached the 10-goal mark against Chelsea.

Other players who scored two goals in the opening round were Youssoupha Mbodji (in Slavia Prague's 2-2 draw with Bodo/Glimt), Marcos Llorente (in Atletico's 2-3 loss to Liverpool), and Francisco Trincao (in Sporting's 4-1 win over Kairat).

Erling Haaland also made his mark with a headed goal, helping Man City defeat reigning Serie A champions Napoli 2-0. The Norwegian center-forward reached 50 Champions League goals in his 49th appearance, breaking Ruud van Nistelrooy's record (50 goals in 62 games).

Erling Haaland gestures the number 50, signifying his 50th Champions League goal. Photo: AP

Defending champions PSG began their title defense perfectly with a 4-0 thrashing of Atalanta thanks to goals from Marquinhos, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes, and Goncalo Ramos. Luis Enrique's team has won its last six matches with an aggregate score of 16-5, including four clean sheets.

Fellow title contenders Arsenal also started smoothly with a 2-0 away win against Bilbao thanks to goals from substitutes Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard.

As in the previous season, 36 teams are participating in the 2025-2026 Champions League, competing in a single league format. Each team will play eight matches, earning points, with the top eight teams advancing directly to the round of 16. The remaining eight spots will be determined through playoffs between the 9th to 24th-ranked teams, while teams ranked 25th to 36th will be eliminated.

After the first round, Eintracht Frankfurt leads the table thanks to a 5-1 home win against Galatasaray.

Compiled by Hong Duy