Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe fired as the new UCL format began© AFP
With Kylian Mbappe to his left and Vinicius Jr to his right, Endrick still doubled down on himself to cap off a dream debut for Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday. Fresh from exchanging wedding vows and earning the ''Bobby'' nickname in the Galacticos' lockerroom, Brazilian sensation Endrick fired his first of many for Carlo Ancelotti's men as Mbappe-starrer Real Madrid kickstarted their title defence with a hard-fought 3-1 win over gutsy VfB Stuttgart at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Holders Real Madrid followed by contenders Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Juventus opened their accounts on matchday 1 of Europe's biggest competition at the club level. Kicking off the new format of the 36-team Champions League tournament with nine goals, six-time winners Bayern Munich laid down the gauntlet by crushing Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 at the famous Allianz Arena in Munich. Hosts Sporting CP registered a 2-0 win over Lille while seven-time champions AC Milan bowed down to Liverpool after drawing first blood at San Siro.
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 17, 2024
1) Young Yildiz doing Del Piero things for Juventus
The youngest crop of Aston Villa supporters was not even born when the Premier League club featured in the European competition prior to the 2024-2025 season. Becoming the 11th English club to play the Champions League, Unai Emery's Aston Villa defeated BSC Young Boys 3-0 in their first away fixture. Returning to the Champions League fold, Serie A heavyweights Juventus outclassed PSV 3-1 to announce their arrival. Netting an Alessandro Del Piero-esque goal, youngster Kenan Yildiz eclipsed the Italian legend to become the youngest-ever Champions League scorer for the Old Lady. Juve missed the last season of the European competition after being banned for breaching UEFA club licensing and FFP rules.
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 17, 2024
2) Kane conquers Wayne in Champions League
Reopening the best England striker debate in the history of the beautiful game, goal-machine Harry Kane shattered Wayne Rooney's record on the opening day. The Bayern Munich forward netted four goals against Dinamo Zagreb in the 11-goal encounter. Kane holds the record for most Champions League goals by an English player. Taking his tally to 33 goals in the Champions League, Kane is three strikes ahead of the Manchester United and Everton legend. The England talisman scored two goals from the penalty spot for the Vincent Kompany-coached side. Thanks to Kane's goal-scoring exploits, Bayern claimed the record for most goals in a Champions League game.
A work of art. #MiaSanMia #FCBDIN #UCL pic.twitter.com/GKbm6CgPq9
— FC Bayern München (@FCBayern) September 17, 2024
3) Un-Real debut for Endrick; Mbappe delivers for Blancos
Reigning champions Real Madrid made amends after playing a quiet first half against Stuttgart by coining the opener through Mbappe, seconds into the final 45 at the Bernabeu. Rodrigo paved the way for Mbappe to score his first Champions League for Los Blancos. Only one behind French icon Thiery Henry, Mbappe has matched Alfredo Di Stefano's goal tally with his 49th strike in the Champions League. Interestingly, Mbappe was not the only Champions League debutant on the scoresheet for the La Liga heavyweights. Just 15 minutes into his Champions League intro, wonderkid Endrick produced the sucker punch as his left-footed strike from outside the box sealed Madrid's first win of the new season. Surpassing club legend Raul Gonzalez, Endrick (18 years and 58 days) has become the youngest player to score for Real Madrid in Champions League history.