The first matchday of the 2026/27 Champions League league phase was memorable not only for the blockbuster Real Madrid–Inter clash, but also for three evening fixtures that offered not a single dull moment. Manchester City travelled to face Porto, Borussia Dortmund hosted Villarreal, and in France Lille took on Betis. All three matches ended in high-scoring, gripping affairs, with Erling Haaland, Serhou Guirassy and Marc Bartra emerging as the key figures of the day.
Manchester City tamed the 'Dragons' thanks to Haaland's brace
The English club is still finding its optimal solutions under its new head coach, yet its Champions League start has been pleasing: on the road, the 'Citizens' beat Porto 2-0. Both goals were scored by the team's star, Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, whose brace sealed the final result. Notably, on Haaland's first goal the assist came from City's star signing Enzo Fernández — marking his first goal contribution in his new shirt. After the match the midfielder did not hold back his praise for his teammate, calling Haaland a 'real beast', which perfectly reflects the Norwegian's role in the team's attack.
Borussia and Villarreal: five goals and two own goals
In Dortmund, two teams for whom yellow is a title colour met. The first half ended goalless, but barely had the second half begun when Renato Veiga scored an own goal, putting the hosts ahead. In the middle of the second half, Santiago Mourinho levelled, and a draw looked like a perfectly fair outcome. However, Serhou Guirassy had other ideas: in the 80th minute he scored Borussia's second goal, and five minutes later he converted a penalty, significantly complicating the visitors' task. The final touch — ironic: in stoppage time (90+3) it was Guirassy who deflected the ball into his own net, making it 3-2. Final scoreline: Veiga own goal (53), Guirassy (80, 85 — penalty) — S. Mourinho (66), Guirassy own goal (90+3).
Lille, a man down, could not hold their lead
In France, Lille stunned their opponent early: in the 12th minute, Aias Ueda put the hosts ahead. The 'Dogs' reigned briefly — Marc Bartra restored equality in the 33rd minute, yet it was Lille who went to the break as favourites, having scored again three minutes later through Alexandru (36). Early in the second half, Betis struck twice in quick succession: Bartra completed his brace (49), and Troy Perrott put his team ahead in the 53rd minute. Lille's chance to turn the match around was wiped out in the 56th minute, when Ethan Mbappé received a straight red card for unsporting behaviour, leaving the hosts with ten men. No rescue came — 2-3 to Betis. Goals: Ueda (12), Alexandru (36) — Bartra (33, 49), Perrott (53).
Context of the matchday
The evening matches were a continuation of a matchday that opened with the AEK–LASK and Club Brugge–Aston Villa fixtures, while the central event of the first round of the league phase remained the Real Madrid–Inter encounter. Altogether, the day delivered dozens of goals and several storylines — from Fernández's debut assist to two own goals in a single match in Dortmund — making this round one of the most high-scoring at the start of the season.
