Kylian Mbappé scored two penalties to help 10-man Real Madrid come from behind and defeat Marseille 2-1 during their Champions League opener on September 17. This victory marked a historic milestone for the 15-time champions, making them the first team in Champions League history, since the competition’s rebranding in the early 1990s, to achieve 200 wins. It also provided former Madrid player Xabi Alonso with a successful start as the club’s coach in his Champions League debut.
Marseille’s Timothy Weah initially put the visitors ahead early in the match, but Mbappé responded with two penalties, in the 29th and 81st minutes, following a foul on Rodrygo and a handball from a defender, respectively. Now with 50 goals in 64 appearances for Madrid, Mbappé’s scoring prowess continues to impress. “We are happy that he keeps scoring goals and has been feeling more and more comfortable,” said Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde. He added, “Our job is to make sure the ball gets to him and that he can have even more scoring opportunities than he is having now.”
The match saw Madrid captain Dani Carvajal receive a red card in the 72nd minute for headbutting Marseille goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli. Weah, the son of former Ballon d’Or winner George Weah, scored with the assistance of Mason Greenwood, who intercepted a pass from Madrid’s Arda Guler near midfield. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Champions League debut for Madrid was cut short due to a muscle injury after just five minutes of play. A pre-match clash between Spanish police and Marseille fans was swiftly controlled.
In other matches, an early own goal from Luiz Junior handed Tottenham a 1-0 victory over Villarreal, while Borussia Dortmund and Juventus played to a thrilling 4-4 draw in Turin. Juventus substitute Dusan Vlahovic made an impact by scoring in stoppage time and setting up the equalizer for English defender Lloyd Kelly. Qarabag also made headlines, overcoming a two-goal deficit to win 3-2 against Benfica. In this new league-phase format, the top eight teams will progress to the round of 16, while the next 16 enter a two-leg playoff.
Arsenal secured a 2-0 victory at Athletic Bilbao, with substitutes playing a crucial role. Despite Viktor Gyokeres missing a scoring opportunity in his Champions League debut, Gabriel Martinelli scored less than a minute after coming on, and Leandro Trossard, who replaced Gyokeres, doubled the lead 15 minutes later. Gyokeres, who had scored six goals in last season’s Champions League with Sporting Lisbon, missed a golden opportunity shortly after halftime by sending a header wide from a well-placed free kick courtesy of Declan Rice.
Union Saint-Gilloise made their presence felt in their Champions League debut by defeating PSV Eindhoven 3-1. Canada’s Promise David opened the scoring with a penalty kick after a foul by U.S. international Ricardo Pepi. Matej Kovar, the PSV goalkeeper, dove the wrong way on the spot kick in the ninth minute. A second goal for Union came before halftime, with Anouar Ait El Hadj showcasing his dribbling skills before finishing expertly. Union qualified for the tournament after winning the Belgian league for the first time in 90 years and is one of four clubs making their competition debut this season, alongside Bodø/Glimt, Kairat, and Pafos. Kevin Mac Allister, named after the character from “Home Alone,” scored the third goal for Union in the 81st minute. PSV managed to pull one back in the 90th minute through Ruben van Bommel, but had previously gone unbeaten in 11 matches across group and league competitions in UEFA.
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2025/09/18/mbappe-scores-2-as-real-madrid-win-on-opening-night-of-cl/
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Publish Date: 2025-09-18 06:28:00
