Just like that, Matchday 1 of the 2015-16 UEFA Champions League group stage is done and dusted. For the four sides representing the Premier League, it wasn’t the best 24 hours England’s top flight has ever had — one win and three defeats in four games played.
Dinamo Zagreb 2-1 Arsenal — MORE
Olivier Giroud had a really, really bad night out in Croatia. The French striker had a pair of close-range chances saved in before the hour mark and was eventually sent off shortly before halftime. With just 10 men on the field, Arsenal shipped a second goal to the reigning Croatian champions and currently find themselves third in Group F.
Chelsea 4-0 Maccabi Tel Aviv — MORE
Back in London, Chelsea made fairly easy work of Maccabi Tel Aviv, despite a stumble out of the blocks that included a skied penalty attempt from Eden Hazard. Willian, Oscar (penalty), Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas provided the Blues’ haul of goals on the evening, sending the reigning Premier League champions top of Group G.
Willian didn't mean to score from this free kick, but he'll take it! #UCL @HeinekenSoccer http://t.co/cFvvxFeNg5
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) September 16, 2015
Roma 1-1 Barcelona
Roma midfielder Alessandro Florenzi did this, which was pretty memorable. On second thought, it was an all-time great Champions League goal. Luis Suarez scored Barcelona’s only goal of the game off a header from close range. Lionel Messi appeared in the 100th Champions League of his career, and for what seems like the first time ever, failed to mark the occasion with a goal.
Luis Suarez stays just onside and heads in Barcelona's opening goal vs Roma. #UCLonFOX http://t.co/LR8ZAe3AO7
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) September 16, 2015
[ MORE: Champions League standings ]
Olympiakos 0-3 Bayern Munich
Not wanting to feel left out in the wake of Florenzi’s stunner, Thomas Mueller scored a cheeky chip of his own, though it felt more like a wayward cross that crept inside the far post. That made it 1-0 in the 52nd minute. Mueller completed his brace in the 89th minute, two minutes after Mario Goetze had made it 2-0 to the Bavarian giants. The reigning Bundesliga champions are top of Group F.
Thomas Muller gets Bayern on the board with a cheeky shot from near the edge of the box. #UCL @HeinekenSoccer http://t.co/SEopBa89hv
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) September 16, 2015
Bayer Leverkusen 4-1 BATE Borisov
Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez scored his first goal for Leverkusen (WATCH HERE), which made the score 3-1 in the 58th minute. Hakan Calhanoglu, who is widely recognized as “the free kick master,” bagged a brace as Leverkusen rolled to a 4-1 victory and the top spot in Group E.
Valencia 2-3 Zenit St. Petersburg
Hulk bagged a brace, including one particularly notable laser beam from 25 yards out — typical Hulk stuff, you know — to cancel out a goal scored by Andre Gomes and an own goal pushed over the line by Zenit midfielder Axel Witsel. It was Witsel, though, who scored the eventual winner in the 76th minute to put the reigning Russian champions top of Group H.
[ MORE: Champions League schedule ]
Dynamo Kyiv 2-2 Porto
Porto’s Vincent Aboubakar bagged a brace of his own, but goals scored by Oleg Gusev and Vitaliy Buyalsky — the latter coming not until the 89th minute — meant the points were to be split between the reigning Ukrainian champions and Portuguese league runners-up.
Gent 1-1 Lyon
Christophe Jallet gave Lyon a 1-0 lead int he 58th minute, but Danijel Milicevic equalized 10 minutes later for the reigning Belgian champions to rescue a point at home.