Champions League round up: Inter edges Arsenal, Barcelona dominates, Club Brugge stuns Aston Villa and more
The Champions League continued with thrilling action on Wednesday night as Inter Milan edged past Arsenal, Barcelona secured a dominant win over Crvena Zvezda, and Aston Villa’s unbeaten run came to an end in a closely contested match against Club Brugge.
Other highlights included Bayern Munich's victory over Benfica, Atalanta’s disciplined win against Stuttgart, and Atletico Madrid’s last-gasp win over Paris Saint-Germain.
Here's a round up of all the action from Wednesday's Champions League matches:
Inter Milan 1-0 ArsenalA crucial penalty from Hakan Calhanoglu propelled Inter Milan to a narrow victory over Arsenal, bringing them to ten points in the league phase. Inter started strongly, with Denzel Dumfries nearly scoring as he struck the crossbar early on.
Despite Arsenal dominating possession in the first half, Inter’s disciplined defense prevented them from capitalizing. A foul in the box allowed Calhanoglu to score from the spot just before halftime, giving Inter the edge.
Arsenal pushed hard for an equalizer, but key defensive plays by Dumfries and Yann Bisseck, who cleared on the line and blocked Kai Havertz’s effort, secured the win for Inter.
Barcelona continued their high-scoring form, claiming a resounding 5-2 victory over Crvena Zvezda. The game opened with a deft header from Inigo Martínez, setting the tone for Barca’s dominance. Crvena Zvezda briefly leveled through Silas, but Robert Lewandowski’s two goals restored and extended the lead for Barcelona.
Jules Kounde orchestrated the offense with two assists, setting up Raphinha and Fermin Lopez to score. Despite a late consolation goal from Felício Milson, Barcelona’s offensive prowess was undeniable, keeping them in close pursuit of the group’s top teams.
Club Brugge halted Aston Villa's unbeaten run with a 1-0 victory, courtesy of Hans Vanaken’s 52nd-minute penalty. Villa defender Tyrone Mings’ handball in the box gave Vanaken the chance to convert, with the captain sending Emiliano Martínez the wrong way.
Although Ferran Jutgla’s powerful shot hit the post for Brugge in the first half, it was Ollie Watkins who came closest for Villa, narrowly missing with a shot. Brugge's defense held firm to secure the win.
In Gelsenkirchen, Shakhtar Donetsk earned their first league phase victory, defeating Young Boys 2-1. Kastriot Imeri initially put Young Boys ahead with his debut Champions League goal, but Shakhtar responded with goals from Oleksandr Zubkov and Georgiy Sudakov. Sudakov’s decisive goal came after a twisting run and a powerful strike from the edge of the box, sealing the win and keeping Young Boys winless.
Brest maintained their unbeaten record in their Champions League debut with a 2-1 victory over Sparta Praha. Edimilson Fernandes scored the opener after Kamory Doumbia’s corner fell to him, and an own goal by Kaan Kairinen secured the lead. Although Sparta Praha pulled one back through Victor Olatunji, Brest held on to claim another three points in their impressive campaign.
Bayern Munich bounced back with a 1-0 victory over Benfica, thanks to Jamal Musiala’s powerful header. Bayern struggled to break down Benfica’s defense in the first half despite several attempts from Harry Kane, which were denied by goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin. Leroy Sane's second-half introduction sparked Bayern’s attack, allowing Kane to set up Musiala for the decisive goal.
In a dramatic clash, Atletico de Madrid clinched a 2-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain with Ángel Correa scoring in the dying moments. PSG’s Warren Zaire-Emery opened the scoring, but Atleti equalized almost immediately through Nahuel Molina’s powerful half-volley. Although PSG had multiple second-half chances, Jan Oblak’s crucial saves kept Atleti in the game. Correa’s last-minute counterattack goal stunned PSG, giving Atlético a crucial victory.
Atalanta continued their unbeaten campaign, defeating Stuttgart 2-0 with goals from Ademola Lookman and Nicolo Zaniolo. Lookman broke the deadlock early in the second half, connecting with a cross from substitute Charles De Ketelaere. Atalanta's defense held firm, with Zaniolo securing the win just before full time.
Salzburg picked up their first victory of the campaign with a 3-1 win over Feyenoord, highlighted by a double from Karim Konate. Konate scored on the brink of halftime and added a second after the break. Despite Feyenoord scoring a goal soon after, a red card for Chris-Kevin Nadje weakened their comeback, allowing Daouda Guindo to seal the win for Salzburg.