Izuchukwu Okosi
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The groups stages of the UEFA Champions League began on Tuesday evening with games in Groups E to H.
Prime Business Africa’s IZUCHUKWU OKOSI here presents the reviews of what went down across Europe.
Group E
Chelsea were defeated 1-0 by Dinamo Zagreb in Group E’s opener on Tuesday evening which was the only shocking result on Matchday1 of the UEFA Champions League this season.
Mislav Oršić who has scored five goals in seven appearances against English opposition scored the only goal of the game.
Salzburg and AC Milan shared the spoils in their first Group E meeting as Noah Okafor who has Nigerian descent overcame the marking of another player with Nigerian heritage Fikayo Tomori in Milamln defence to let fly a shot that we flew past Mike Maignan in goal for the Italians.
Rafael Leão’s deflected effort in added time salvaged a draw for the Serie A champions.
Group F
Defending champions of the Champions League were 3-0 Victor’s over Scottish giants Celtic on Tuesday night.
Vinícius Júnior and Luka Modrić put Los Bloncos ahead in the first half but Eden Hazard added the gloss to the result towards the end of the match.
Shakhtar Donestk hammered RB Leipzig 4-1 to lay down a marker in Group F
Group G
England international Jude Bellingham was the star of the show as Dortmund beat Copenhagen 3-0
Erling Haaland continued his great start to life at City as he scored twice in an impressive victory in Spain. Haaland took his tally to nine goals in his last five games midway through the first half, tapping in from Kevin de Bruyne’s cross, and after Phil Foden made it 2-0 before the hour the Norwegian struck again. Rúben Dias sealed the biggest win of the night in added time.
Group H
Paris 2-1 Juventus
Mbappé scored twice in the opening 22 minutes to set Paris on course for victory. The France striker volleyed Neymar’s deft chip beyond Mattia Perrin and added a second with a clinical first-time strike to complete a dazzling passage of passing. Substitute Weston McKennie headed a 53rd-minute reply and Gianluigi Donnarumma denied Juventus an equaliser by clawing away Dušan Vlahović’s header.
Two goals in five second-half minutes were enough to take Benfica past Maccabi Haifa in Lisbon. The hosts dominated the first half but it was not until five minutes into the second that dangerman Rafa Silva tucked in a close-range volley from Grimaldo’s cross. Five minutes later Grimaldo turned goalscorer, unleashing a fizzing drive which flew past Josh Cohen and in via the underside of the crossbar.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
