Reigning champion Paris Saint-Germain stormed to a commanding 4-0 win over Atalanta in the Champions League on Wednesday, while Liverpool once again struck late to keep its blistering start to the season alive.
Even a missed penalty from Bradley Barcola couldn’t spoil PSG’s night, as the holders cruised in front of their home crowd.
“It’s a joy to see such a performance. I think our fans can be happy,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said.
Virgil van Dijk rose high in stoppage time to head home the winner in Liverpool’s 3-2 victory over Atletico Madrid, sparing the Reds after nearly squandering a two-goal lead built inside the opening six minutes.
Liverpool seemed to be sailing with early goals from Andy Robertson and a typically fine strike by Mohamed Salah but was pegged back by Marcos Llorente’s goals in first-half stoppage time and the 81st minute.
Llorente also scored twice at Anfield in 2020 when Atletico eliminated the then-defending champion in the round of 16.
Liverpool has won all four of its Premier League games this season with winning goals after the 80th minute, and twice in the last minute of stoppage time.
So when Atletico leveled late at Anfield, there was ample time for coach Arne Slot’s team to find the goal it needed.
Dominik Szoboszlai swung in a corner from the right, and Van Dijk wrestled away from his marker and steered a strong header inside the near post.
Slot acknowledged, “We should have made it easier for ourselves.”
Bayern Munich and Inter Milan both triumphed in rematches of classic finals, with Bayern beating Chelsea and Inter edging Ajax to open their expanded league-phase campaigns.
Bayern held off Chelsea 3-1 with two goals from Harry Kane, whose England teammate Cole Palmer scored an impressive goal for the visitors. It was belated revenge for Bayern losing the 2012 final to Chelsea in its home stadium.
Inter got two powerful headed goals from Marcus Thuram in its 2-0 win at Ajax, which beat the Italians in the 1972 European Cup final.
First-time entrants Bodo/Glimt and Pafos also made their mark, grinding out road draws to announce themselves on Europe’s biggest stage.
Norway’s champions Bodo/Glimt had a second-half penalty saved and trailed by two goals late at Slavia Prague before rallying to level at 2-2 in the 90th minute.
Pafos ground out a 0-0 draw at Olympiakos after playing with 10 men from the 26th minute. Journeyman Brazilian midfielder Bruno Felipe was sent off for a second yellow-card foul.
Russian-owned Pafos is the first Cypriot team in the Champions League main phase since 2017 and Bodo/Glimt ended Norway’s 18-year absence.
The Ballon d’Or trophy is surely staying in Paris after the annual awards ceremony in the city on Monday.
PSG has campaigned for its currently injured striker, Ousmane Dembele, to get the prize for his standout season, though fullbacks Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi also would be worthy winners.
Both were attacking threats against Atalanta, which is adapting to life without inspirational coach Gian Piero Gasperini, now at Roma, and Mendes scored in the 51st to make it 3-0.
The standout goal was Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s rising shot after a dazzling run minutes before halftime.
The new kids on the Champions League block are fast learners.
Three of the four debutants – an unusually high number this season – have played so far, all on the road, and all are unbeaten. Belgian champion Union Saint-Gilloise started it Tuesday, winning 3-1 at PSV Eindhoven.
Bodo/Glimt and Pafos did not panic when events went against them Wednesday.
The Norwegian champion trailed by two goals at Slavia Prague, having had Kasper Hogh’s 54th-minute penalty saved, before cutting the deficit in the 78th.
A stunning volley in the 90th by substitute Sondre Brunstad Fet rattled the crossbar and bounced down over the goal line to earn a point preserved by goalkeeper Nikita Haikin’s smart save deep in stoppage time.
Pafos lost both of its Brazilian veterans before halftime, with 38-year-old David Luiz lasting just 33 minutes before going off injured in his first start for the club.
The fourth debutant, Kairat Almaty, plays Thursday at Sporting Lisbon. That meant a 7,000-kilometer (4,350-mile) trip for players and fans from eastern Kazakhstan across four time zones to Portugal’s capital – one of the longest possible in European soccer.
The Champions League stretches into a third day just for the opening round, which is completed Thursday with six more games, including 2023 winner Manchester City welcoming back Kevin De Bruyne against Napoli.
Barcelona go to Newcastle without the injured Lamine Yamal.
A stoppage-time comeback by Juventus to draw 4-4 with Borussia Dortmund was the standout game of the first six played Tuesday, while Kylian Mbappe converted two penalties and 10-man Real Madrid came back to beat visiting Marseille 2-1.
