Champions League live: minute-by-minute updates

The new Champions League season began with six matches and an early rush of goals, as the competition’s league phase opened across two time slots.

Aston Villa struck first against Club Brugge when captain John McGinn collected the ball on the right, cut inside and fired a left-footed shot into the net. The goal came with some responsibility from the goalkeeper. Club Brugge responded quickly through Norwegian midfielder Hugo Vetlesen, who made it 1-1 in the 19th minute.

Villa regained the lead only three minutes later. Emiliano Buendía arrived from deep and finished at the near post to put the English side 2-1 ahead. In the other early match, Razvan Marin gave AEK Athens a 1-0 lead over LASK in the 21st minute with a spectacular free kick, striking toward the goalkeeper’s post.

The opening round also featured a notable milestone on the bench. Manuel Pellegrini, aged 72, was set to become the oldest coach to manage a Champions League match when Real Betis visited Lille, surpassing Raymond Goethals’ record from 1993. Betis returned to the competition under the Chilean coach.

The day’s main attraction was scheduled for the Santiago Bernabéu, where Real Madrid were due to host Inter. José Mourinho was the central figure in that meeting, returning to lead the Spanish club in the Champions League against the team he guided to the title in 2010. Other matches included Porto against Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund against Villarreal.