UCL Round-Up: Bayern start with a bang as Super Eagles duo suffer defeats

Bayern Munich on Wednesday started their Champions League title defense in ruthless fashion as they pumped four goals past Atletico Madrid in their Group A opener at the Allianz Arena.

Winger Kingsley Coman scored twice and set up another goal as the Bundesliga champions crushed Atletico Madrid 4-0 to stretch their winning run in the competition to 12 games.

20 – This is the 20th time Bayern Munich have scored 4+ goals in a game under Hansi Flick; the most of any team in the top five European leagues since he took charge in November 2019. Force. pic.twitter.com/OcYrzhpN5Y

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 21, 2020

For the Super Eagles duo of Zaidu Sanusi and Frank Onyeka, their debuts in the group stage of the Champions League started on a sour note.

Sanusi and his FC Porto teammates had started on a bright note as they drew the first blood against Manchester City at the Etihad.

However, Pep Guardiola’s men rallied to win the tie 3-1.

Sanusi was in action for 77 minutes before he was substituted.

For Onyeka, who was in action for 87 minutes, his presence could not prevent his team FC Midtjylland from going down to a 4-0 home defeat against Atalanta.

Towering Colombian striker Duvan Zapata scored one goal and set up two more as the Italian side cruised to a 4-0 victory in the Group D clash at the MCH Arena in Herning on Wednesday.

Papu Gomez, Luis Muriel, and debutant Aleksey Miranchuk were also on target for the Italians.

In the other Group D tie, Liverpool clinched a 1-0 win on the road against AFC Ajax.

Nicolas Tagliafico’s first-half own goal proved to be the difference between the teams at Johan Cruyff Arena.

Elsewhere, Real Madrid also suffered a shock 3-2 home defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk in their Champions League opener as a second-half rally proved in vain and a stoppage-time strike was disallowed.

9 – Romelu Lukaku has now scored in each of his last nine games in European competition (10 goals), extending the longest-ever such run by an Inter Milan player. Unstoppable. pic.twitter.com/1Zt2XskY36

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 21, 2020

Inter Milan were almost condemned to a home defeat also but Romelu Lukaku rescued a point for Antonio Conte’s side.

Full Results

Group A

Red Bull Salzburg 2-2 Lokomotiv Moscow

Bayern Munich 4-0 Atletico Madrid

Group B

Real Madrid 2-3 Shakhtar Donetsk

Inter Milan 2-2 Borussia Monchengladbach

Group C

Olympiacos 1-0 Marseille

Manchester City 3-1 Porto

Group D

Ajax 0-1 Liverpool

Midtjylland 0-4 Atalanta