UEFA Champions League 2026-27: Mbappe And Haaland Power Real Madrid And Manchester City To Opening Wins

The Champions League returned Tuesday with Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland on the scoresheet as Real Madrid and Manchester City opened the new season with wins.

Mbappe struck early at the Santiago Bernabeu. His effort set 15-time champion Madrid on course for a 2-1 win over Inter Milan, while Haaland netted a brace to guide 2023 winner City past Porto 2-0.

Madrid and City are seen as leading threats to back-to-back defending champion Paris Saint-Germain this season, with both clubs leaning on their star forwards. UEFA said PSG opens against Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday.

Mbappe struck in the 14th minute. The finish was his 71st in Europe's elite club tournament, drawing him level with former Real Madrid forward Raul in fifth on the historic scoring charts. Haaland took his own count to 59 goals across 59 appearances in the competition.

Borussia Dortmund beat Villarreal 3-2, and Real Betis won by the same score at Lille.

Aston Villa also came through 3-2 against Club Brugge, and AEK Athens beat LASK 1-0.

Mourinho's Classic Return

Jose Mourinho's return to the Champions League was a winning one, even with Inter monopolizing possession.

Madrid punished two first-half errors by the visitors in a classic Mourinho-style display.

When Inter lost the ball deep in its own half, Brahim Diaz slipped Mbappe through and he fired low past Josep Martinez.

The Inter goalkeeper then hesitated when Federico Valverde closed him down in his own area, and Valverde poked the ball into an empty net.

Inter, which finished with 61% possession, made the closing stages tense when Carlos Augusto scored in the 77th.

“There’s so much criticism when a game is boring, but today it was crazy — it could easily have ended 7-6,” Mourinho told broadcaster Movistar.

Mourinho won his second Champions League title with Inter in 2010 and is aiming to join the likes of Pep Guardiola, Luis Enrique and Zinedine Zidane by lifting the trophy for a third time.

Haaland Keeps Scoring

With five goals in his last three games, Haaland is in hot form. It could have been even more if not for Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa's first-half performance.

Haaland eventually found the breakthrough at Estadio do Dragao with a header two minutes into the second half. He side-footed City's second in stoppage time to make certain of the win and ensure new coach Enzo Maresca's 100% start continued.

“We have to learn. Enzo demands a lot from us and we have to demand a lot from each other,” Haaland told Amazon Prime. “We have to win games because at Man City, you have to win trophies. That’s what we have to do at this club.”

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Villa Finds First Win

Aston Villa put its domestic problems behind it with a win over Club Brugge.

Victory in Belgium ended Villa's winless and goalless start to its 2026-27 season, after early struggles in the Premier League.

John McGinn recorded the first goal of the Champions League campaign with a sweeping low shot from an angle in the 11th minute. Hugo Vetlesen equalized for Brugge, but Emiliano Buendia and Nicolas Jackson put Villa 3-1 up by the break.

Nicolo Tresoldi scored for the home team with a penalty in the 61st, but Villa held on for the win.

Villa coach Unai Emery will hope victory sparks his team's season after the summer departures of star players Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins, Ezri Konsa and Emi Martinez.

His much-changed team lost to Brighton and Arsenal in the Premier League and picked up its first point of the season with a goalless draw against newly promoted Hull on Saturday. It had recorded only one shot on target in those three games.

Dortmund's Frantic Finish

Borussia Dortmund teenager Konstantinos Karetsas was taken to the hospital after slumping to the turf 25 minutes into his Champions League debut against Villarreal, according to kare11.com.

“Konstantinos Karetsas had to leave the field due to circulatory problems,” Dortmund said in a statement. Karetsas “is doing well under the circumstances and is on his way to the hospital for further tests.”

Serhou Guirassy scored three goals — two for Dortmund and one in his own net — in a frantic finish against Villarreal.

Guirassy gave Dortmund a 2-1 lead in the 80th and then struck again from the penalty spot five minutes later.

An added-time own goal made it 3-2.

Parrott Strikes Again

The past few days have been eventful for Troy Parrott.

The Ireland international scored his first goal for new club Betis with a late winner against Madrid on Friday and he was on target again with the decisive goal in the 3-2 win in Lille.

AEK Athens beat LASK 1-0 thanks to Razvan Marin's brilliant first-half free kick.