In a night of tight defenses and missed opportunities, Manchester City and Inter Milan played out a 0-0 draw in their Champions League clash, a rematch of the 2023 final. The match, alongside Bologna vs. Shakhtar Donetsk, marked an unusually goal-shy evening, with only 13 goals scored in six games compared to the 28 scored just a day earlier.
Paris Saint-Germain left it late to secure a 1-0 victory over Champions League debutants Girona. The game seemed destined for a goalless finish until a catastrophic error by Girona’s goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga in the 90th minute allowed Nuno Mendes’ cross to slip through his legs, handing PSG the win.
Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund needed late goals from substitutes Jamie Gittens, who scored twice, and Serhou Guirassy, who converted a stoppage-time penalty, to overcome Club Brugge 3-0.
Elsewhere, Sparta Prague made a triumphant return to the Champions League after 19 years, defeating Salzburg 3-0. In a night of comebacks, Bologna also returned to Europe’s elite competition after a 60-year absence but had to settle for a goalless draw against Shakhtar Donetsk, despite displaying attacking intent.
Slovan Bratislava was outclassed by Celtic, losing 5-1 in Glasgow. Celtic, led by manager Brendan Rodgers, delivered a commanding performance, with goals from Liam Scales, Adam Idah, Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda, and Arne Engels, securing a comfortable win.
Manchester City’s game against Inter Milan ended in frustration as City failed to score at home in the Champions League for the first time since 2022. Despite multiple chances, including late missed headers by İlkay Gündoğan, City extended their unbeaten home run in European competitions to 32 games.
Looking ahead, a rare Thursday fixture list will see top teams like Barcelona, Arsenal, and Bayer Leverkusen in action as the new Champions League format continues to unfold, with 36 teams playing across three straight nights.
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