Manchester United marked their return to the UEFA Champions League in commanding fashion, sweeping aside Azerbaijan’s Sabah FK 4-0 at Old Trafford on Matchday 1. Under manager Michael Carrick, United delivered an assertive performance on home soil to secure their first victory in Europe’s premier club competition in over a thousand days. Entering the contest following a concerning start to their 2026–27 Premier League campaign, United provided an immediate response against debutants making their initial appearance on the grandest stage of European football.
Italian newcomers Como 1907 announced their arrival on the European stage with a stunning 4-1 victory over RB Leipzig. Led by manager Cesc Fabregas, the side capitalized on tactical discipline and opportunistic loan signings to craft a clinical display against their German opponents. Martin Baturina opened Como’s Champions League account after just 15 minutes, finishing a neatly constructed move following a slick exchange with Tasos Douvikas. The roles reversed later in the first half when Douvikas found the back of the net himself to double the lead, laying the groundwork for a statement win.
In Prague, French side Lens produced the night’s most extraordinary turnaround, recovering from a 2-1 deficit past the 90-minute mark to claim a dramatic 3-2 victory over Slavia Praha. Danijel Sturm initially put the Czech hosts ahead before Abdallah Sima restored parity for Lens. Sturm restored Slavia’s advantage with his second goal of the evening, but the host side faced severe adversity when Mikulas Konecny received his marching orders just four minutes after half-time. Despite playing with ten men for nearly the entire second period, Slavia held their ground into stoppage time before Lens launched a breathtaking late assault to snatch all three points.
Elsewhere across the continent, Bayern Munich established their early rhythm on Matchday 1 by overwhelming Norwegian outfit Bodo/Glimt in a 5-0 victory. Meanwhile, tight encounters yielded shared points in Turkey and the Netherlands. Fenerbahce and Roma fought to a hard-earned 1-1 draw, while PSV Eindhoven and Shakhtar Donetsk also settled for a 1-1 stalemate in their opening fixture of the European campaign.
