Fans of Eintracht Frankfurt, Club Brugge and Sporting Lisbon were treated to an evening of goals as all three clubs recorded big victories to conclude matchday one of the Champions League.
Frankfurt fell behind to an eighth-minute Yunus Akgun goal in their home tie with Galatasaray before the Turkish side imploded shortly before half-time when own goals from Davinson Sanchez and Wilfried Singo, as well as a fine Can Uzan goal – all coming within 12 minutes of the whistle – handed the German side a two-goal advantage.
The Bundesliga club added two more after the break courtesy of Jonathan Burkardt and Ansgar Knauff to seal a memorable night for the hosts and, for the visitors, one to forget as their run of 13 successive competitive victories came to resounding end.
In Bruges, it was a similar story as the hosts blew their visitors away in emphatic as Club Brugge, who comfortably eliminated Rangers in the playoff round, picked up where they left off with a 4-1 win over Monaco.
Videos on social media showed the Monaco players leaving their cancelled flight over in their underwear due to a problem with the plane’s air conditioning, and the Ligue 1 side certainly felt the heat at Jan Breydel Stadium as Brugge effectively put the tie to bed with three goals in 10 first-half minutes.
Nicolo Tresoldi set the Belgian side on their way in the 32nd-minute before Raphael Onyedika and Hans Vanaken extended the advantage before the break.
Mamadou Diakhon then added a fourth with a quarter of an hour to play, while Ansu Fati netted a consolation goal for Monaco in stoppage time.
Meanwhile, Sporting Lisbon made light work of Champions League debutants Kairat, running out 4-1 winners thanks to a Francisco Trincao brace and further goals from Alisson Santos and Geovany Quenda.
But the new boys from Kazakhstan had their moments. Most notably when 18-year-old goalkeeper Sherkhan Kalmurza denied Morten Hjulmand from the penalty spot, and when Edmilson made history by becoming Kairat’s first-ever Champions League scorer when he found the net four minutes from time.
Elsewhere, the clash between Copenhagen and Bayer Leverkusen came to life in the final 11 minutes when three goals ensured both sides would leave with something in a 2-2 draw.
Jordan Larsson gave Copenhagen the lead after nine minutes before Alejandro Grimaldo found the equaliser eight minutes from time with a wonderful free-kick.
Four minutes later, the Danish side restored their advantage through Robert Silva but Leverkusen would have the last laugh, levelling things up once more in the 91st-minute courtesy of a Pantelis Hatzidiakos.
