Bayern Munich 5-0 Rostov
CARLO ANCELOTTI’S FIRST Champions League campaign as Bayern Munich boss got off to the ideal start as his side ran out comfortable 5-0 winners against Rostov.
Bayern, who will also face Atletico Madrid and PSV Eindhoven in Group D, controlled proceedings throughout in Munich, though relied on a somewhat controversial penalty call from referee Anthony Taylor midway through the first-half in order to take the lead – Robert Lewandowski drilling home.
And, after birthday boy Thomas Muller had doubled Bayern’s tally in first-half stoppage time, the hosts ran riot after the interval, Joshua Kimmich netting twice in the space of seven minutes to end the match as a contest before substitute Juan Bernat added a fifth in the last minute.
The victory gives Bayern a 13th consecutive Champions League win at the Allianz Arena as Ancelotti’s men ensured that Rostov’s first appearance in the group stages of a European tournament ended in a comprehensive defeat.
PSV Einhoven 0 Atletico Madrid 1
A solitary goal from Saul Niguez proved enough for Atletico Madrid to open their Champions League campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over PSV at the Philips Stadium.
Saul’s persistence paid off in the 43rd minute, the Spain international finding the net with a left-footed shot after his initial effort with his right had been blocked.
However, last season’s beaten finalists were indebted to Jan Oblak’s first-half penalty save, as he turned away Andres Guardado’s effort, for securing all three points from an absorbing Group D clash.
PSV also had a goal dubiously ruled out for a foul as their six-match unbeaten run in all competitions come to an end against the team that knocked them out of the same competition on penalties in the last 16 last term.
Dynamo Kiev 1 Napoli 2
Arkadiusz Milik netted twice to help Napoli come from behind and record a 2-1 win over Dynamo Kiev in their Champions League Group B opener at NSK Olimpiyskiy on Tuesday.
Napoli spent €32 million to lure the Poland international away from Ajax following the departure of Gonzalo Higuain to Juventus and Milik has not wasted any time making an impact at his new club.
He opened his Napoli account with a double in the 4-2 Serie A win over AC Milan in August and made it four from as many appearances in all competitions versus Kiev.
Milik scored his first goal of the game when he cancelled out Denys Garmash’s opener following a fine cross from Faouzi Ghoulam, before netting his and Napoli’s second shortly before the break with another header.
Kiev pushed hard for an equaliser in the second half, but they lacked the individual quality to really worry Napoli and their task became all but impossible when Serhiy Sydorchuk received his second yellow card for diving, the Serie A side holding on to their lead without any real problems.
Benfica 1 Besiktas 1
Anderson Talisca came back to haunt parent club Benfica, netting a stunning stoppage-time free-kick to earn new side Besiktas a 1-1 Champions League draw.
The Brazilian joined Besiktas on loan from the Portuguese giants last month, and the Eagles may be regretting that decision after he denied them two points in Tuesday’s Group B opener.
It looked as though Benfica, quarter-finalists last season, would get their 2016-17 campaign off to a winning start after they held the lead given to them by Franco Cervi’s 12th-minute goal.
But in the third minute of stoppage time, Talisca stepped up and sent a superb, swerving 30-yard free-kick into the bottom-left corner to earn his new employers a share of the spoils.
FC Basel 1 Ludogorets 1
Renato Steffen struck an 80th-minute equaliser as Basel drew 1-1 with Ludogorets in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Jonathan Cafu’s breakaway goal just before half-time had looked set to secure a first Champions League group stage away win for the Bulgarians before the home side’s late pressure eventually told.
The Swiss champions had lost only three of their previous 19 home games in European competition and were expected to enjoy a comfortable night against the largely unheralded visitors.
Despite dominating for long periods and creating numerous chances, Urs Fischer’s side struggled to find a way past Ludogorets goalkeeper Vladislav Stoyanov, who pulled off a string of fine saves.
Birkir Bjarnason, Steffen, Marc Janko and Seydou Doumbia were all denied by Stoyanov as Ludogorets — playing in the group stage for just the second time in their history — defended doggedly to preserve their hard-earned lead.
However, the in-form hosts, who have won each of their first seven games of the Swiss Super League season, finally found a way through courtesy of Switzerland winger Steffen to get off the mark in Group A.
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