Champions league Match Day 1 recap: Sevilla thrashed as La Liga’s big three win
The top four of La Liga are back in action in the UEFA Champions League as the new season has commenced.
We take a look at how Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla fared on matchday 1 of Europe’s premier club competition as the Road to Istanbul 2023 begins.
Sevilla was the lone big loser among the Spanish clubs to open the campaign, as they fell to a rampant Manchester City side that has a relentless Erling Haaland up front.
The Norwegian striker fired in both halves in their 4-0 rout at the Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium, with Phil Foden and Ruben Dias were on the scoresheet in their Group G opener.
With the defeat, Julen Lopetegui’s job is on the hot seat, as the club only mustered a point in their first five matches in all competitions, with the six-time Europa League winners languishing near the relegation spots.
In Glasgow, Real Madrid bucked an injury to Karim Benzema, with Eden Hazard took over for a masterful 3-0 win away at Celtic in Group F.
The Belgian substituted for their captain just before halftime, and duly put up a shift for the defending champions, who took the lead with a Vinicius Jr effort from the counter in the 56th minute.
Hazard picked out Luka Modric at the hour to double their lead, then finished off a Dani Carvajal cross with a 77th-minute tap in.
Over in Camp Nou, Robert Lewandowski fired a hat-trick to lead Barca with a 5-1 rout of Czech side Viktoria Plzen in Group C.
His goal in the 34th minute doubled the Catalans’ lead after Franck Kessie opened the scoring. Jan Sykora halved their deficite a minute before half time, but the Pole put the match away in stoppage time, completing his trifecta in the 67th minute before Ferran Torres found the net four minutes later for the final count.
Barca took group leadership with Bayern Munich only mustering a 2-0 away win at Inter Milan.
At the Metropolitano, Atletico de Madrid took it very late as they survived a challenge by ten-man Porto in a tense Group B tie, 2-1 with all goals coming at stoppage time.
In a match that had nine added minutes after Mehdi Taremi was sent off for diving, Mario Hermoso thought that they had won it in the very first minute of it when his shot took a deflection and looped past Diogo Costa.
However, the defender turned from hero to zero almost instantly, when his handball five minutes later meant that Porto had a chance to level, which was converted by Mateus Uribe.
But Hermoso’s blushes were saved right past the death, with substitute Antoine Griezmann headed home in what was the virtual final play off the match, pouncing on an Axel Witsel flick from a corner.
