False start for Jürgen Klopp and his Liverpool FC, historic hat-trick and opening win for Robert Lewandowski and FC Barcelona: The coach and goalscorer, who shaped the Bundesliga for a long time, experienced extremes on the first day of the Champions League. Klopp’s Reds went down 1: 4 (0: 3) at SSC Naples, Barca won 5: 1 (3: 1) against Viktoria Pilsen thanks to the world footballer.
The Dutch record champions Ajax Amsterdam have continued their winning streak in the premier class. After five successes in the Eredivisie, the team of former Hoffenheim coach Alfred Schreuder started the group stage with a 4-0 (3-0) win over Glasgow Rangers. Tottenham Hotspur won 2-0 (0-0) against Olympique Marseille with a brace from Richarlison.
Klopp saw a very weak first half for his team at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium – and was lucky that the deficit was only 0:3 at the break. Piotr Zielinski converted a hand penalty (5′) and Frank Anguissa (31′) and substitute Giovanni Simeone (44′) made it 3-0 for Napoli.
But Victor Osimhen missed a penalty after video evidence (18′), and Virgil van Dijk saved for the already beaten goalkeeper Alisson after a shot by Chwitscha Kwarazchelia on the line (28′). After the break, Zielinski scored again (47′), Luis Diaz (49′) prevented Liverpool’s heaviest defeat in European Cup history.
At the Camp Nou, Lewandowski was initially a spectator as Franck Kessie gave Barca the lead (13′). Then the ex-Munich player struck three times himself (34th/45th + 3/67th): With his sixth, seventh and eighth competitive goal of the season, the Pole increased his Champions League record to 89 goals in 107 games. Lewandowski is the first player in the premier club to score hat-tricks for three clubs – after Dortmund and Bayern now also for Barcelona. Ferran Torres also scored (71st).
In Amsterdam, Edson Alvarez (17th), Steven Berghuis (32nd) and Mohammed Kudus (34th) gave the 1995 Champions League winner a clear lead before the break. Steven Bergwijn (80th) followed suit in the closing stages.
Leverkusen’s next opponent Atletico Madrid came in the 11th minute of stoppage time through Antoine Griezmann to a 2-1 (0-0) against FC Porto. Mario Hermoso (90 + 1) was only successful for the Spaniards, but a short time later played the ball with his hand in his own penalty area. Mateus Uribe sunk the penalty due (90+6). Then came the great performance of world champion Griezmann.