Como marked their first-ever appearance in the Champions League in memorable fashion, sweeping aside RB Leipzig 4-1 at home, while Bayern Munich delivered a ruthless 5-0 demolition of Bodo/Glimt to launch their group phase campaign.
Como's qualification for Europe's premier club competition triggered a scramble to bring their compact lakeside venue, the Stadio Sinigaglia, up to UEFA's required standards in time. Had the work not been completed, the Italian side would have been forced to relocate their home fixtures roughly 200 kilometers away to Sassuolo's stadium. That scenario was avoided, and Cesc Fabregas's team rewarded the effort with a commanding performance.
Marti Baturina broke the deadlock in the 15th minute, setting the tone for the evening, before Taso Douvikas doubled the advantage. Assane Diao extended Como's lead early in the second half to make it 3-0, and although Andrija Maksimovic pulled one back for Leipzig, Maximo Perrone sealed the victory with a goal deep into stoppage time.
Bayern Munich, meanwhile, needed time to break down a stubborn Bodo/Glimt defense but eventually turned the contest into a rout. The breakthrough came just two minutes after the interval, when Jamal Musiala fired home the opener. From there, Vincent Kompany's side took full control. Harry Kane headed in Bayern's second goal on the hour mark — his 34th strike in 39 Champions League appearances for the club — before Alphonso Davies added a third with a powerful half-volley. Michael Olise then rounded off the scoring with a brace late in the match, capping off a dominant display.
Elsewhere, Roma were held to a 1-1 draw away at Fenerbahce despite taking an early lead. Donyell Malen set up Bryan Cristante, who beat goalkeeper Ederson with a bouncing effort in the 39th minute. It was a notable moment for Cristante, marking his first Champions League proper goal some 15 years after his competition debut as a 16-year-old with AC Milan. Fenerbahce, playing in the tournament for the first time in 18 years, responded three minutes into the second half when Mason Greenwood threaded a pass to Archie Brown, who lifted a finish over Mile Svilar to level the score. The Turkish side nearly snatched a dramatic win late on when Nathan Ake's header struck the crossbar, but the match ultimately finished level.
PSV Eindhoven avoided what would have been a sixth consecutive opening-day defeat in the competition, drawing 1-1 at home against Shakhtar Donetsk. The Dutch side found themselves behind at the break after Gleiker Mendoza cut inside and unleashed a fierce low strike past goalkeeper Matej Kovar. PSV responded shortly after the restart through Sergino Dest, whose composed finish secured a point.
Slavia Prague endured a painful finish at home to Lens, falling 3-2 after conceding twice in stoppage time. The hosts were reduced to ten men shortly after halftime when Mikulas Konecny was dismissed following a VAR review. Despite the setback, Danijel Sturm put Slavia ahead, only for Abdallah Sima to level things for Lens. Sturm then restored the lead with his second goal of the night in the 88th minute, sending the home fans into celebration — prematurely, as it turned out. Florian Thauvin equalized in the 91st minute, and Ruben Aguilar completed the comeback with a precise finish to snatch victory for Lens in the dying moments.
Based on reporting from Reuters.