FOOTBALL – Liverpool celebrated their return to the Champions League after a year’s absence with a 3-1 victory over AC Milan at San Siro last night, overcoming a shaky start with goals from Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai.
Liverpool got off to an awful start in the battle between the two European heavyweights when Christian Pulisic fired Milan in front from a quick counter-attack in the third minute, aided by Liverpool’s disorganised defending.
The six-times champions turned things around, however, and dominated for much of the remainder of the game, with Konate equalising in the 23rd minute when he leapt high above a crowd of defenders to head in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s free kick.
Skipper Van Dijk put Liverpool ahead to the delight of some 4,400 travelling fans when he nodded home Kostas Tsimikas’ corner just before halftime. Szoboszlai sealed the victory in the 67th minute, slotting into the far corner from Cody Gakpo’s cross after Milan gave up possession.
The night marked coach Arne Slot’s first Champions League game at the helm of the Merseyside club since he replaced Juergen Klopp, and it was a terrific response from his team after their shock 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane scored four goals to lead his side to a 9-2 demolition of visitors Dinamo Zagreb and became the highest scoring English player in the competition’s history with 33 goals.
In a game that set a record for most goals scored by one team in a Champions League match, Bayern struck three times in the first half with Kane, who scored a hat-trick in their Bundesliga win over Holstein Kiel on Saturday, converting a 19th minute penalty.
Raphael Guerreiro drilled home from a superb Jamal Musiala assist in the 33rd and Michael Olise added another five minutes later.
The Croats then scored twice in two minutes through Bruno Petkovic in the 49th and Takuya Ogiwara in the 50th, hoping to find a way back but Bayern responded with two of their own in four minutes – through Kane and Olise – to restore order.
England captain Kane bagged his third and fourth goals with penalties in the 73rd and 78th while Leroy Sane added another in the 85th before fellow substitute Leon Goretzka headed in their record-breaking ninth – the most scored in the competition.
Aston Villa made an impressive return to Europe’s elite as they began their Champions League campaign with an accomplished 3-0 victory away to Swiss club Young Boys.
Youri Tielemans fired Villa in front in the 27th minute of their first game in Europe’s top club competition for 41 years and the Premier League side dominated throughout.
Villa, European champions in 1982, doubled their advantage in the 38th minute with Jacob Ramsey tapping in from close range after terrible Young Boys defending.
The visitors had goals by Ollie Watkins and substitute Jhon Duran wiped off for handball but Amadou Onana drove in Villa’s third to underline their superiority.
It proved a highly-satisfying night though for Unai Emery’s side who will face stiffer tests against the likes of Bayern Munich, Juventus and Celtic in the competition’s new format.
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