UEFA Champions League: Arsenal lose 2-0 to Dortmund, Atletico Madrid in shock 3-2 Defeat to Olympiacos
Real Madrid resumed the defence of their UEFA Champions League title on a highly successful note with a 5-1 mauling of Basel.
In their first Group B match at the Santiago Bernabeu, the European champions set a record of 1000 goals in the champions league with the last goal by Karim Benzema.
The scoring was opened by an own-goal from Marek Suchy, before Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and James Rodrguez all found the target in seven first-half minutes. Derlis Gonzalez got Basel a consolation goal but Karim Benzema completed the scoring with ten minutes remaining.
In the second Group B match of the night, Liverpool won Ludogorets 2-1 at Anfield. Mario Balotelli scored his first goal for the Reds but Substitute Dani Abalo scored a 90th-minute equaliser for the Bulgarians.
Captain Steven Gerrard, however, scored an added-time winner from the spot to salvage Liverpool a win on their return to European competition after Javier Manquillo had been brought down by goalkeeper Milan Borjan.
In Group A, Olympiacos got their campaign off to a winning start as they recorded a shocking 3-2 victory over spanish champions, Atletico Madrid at Karaiskakis Stadium.
Arthur Masuaku opened the scoring for the hosts and Ibrahim Afellay doubled their lead after 31 minutes before Mario Mandzukic pulled one back for Madrid before half-time. Konstantinos Mitroglou made it 3-1 midway through the second half before Antoine Griezmann struck right at the end for Diego Simeone’s side.
In Group A’s other match, Juventus forward Carlos Tevez ended his Champions League goal drought with both goals in the 2-0 defeat of Malmo.
Group C’s Zenit St. Petersburg also made an impressive start with two first-half goals by Hulk for a comfortable victory over ten-man Benfica.
Monaco also secured victory against Bayer Leverkusen at the Stade Louis II, thanks to Joao Moutinho’s second-half goal after a ten-year absence from the group stages .
Group D matches saw Arsenal lose their first match 2-0 to Borussia Dortmund and Galatasaray secure a late draw with Anderlecht.
Italian striker Ciro Immobile and Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored for the German side that produced a dominant performance to outclass Arsenal while Galatasaray striker Burak Yilmaz netted a stoppage-time equaliser to deny Anderlecht a first away Champions League win for nine years in a 1-1 draw in Istanbul.
