Champions League Highlights: Manchester United's Return, Kane's Streak, Como's Historic Win
Harry Kane is scoring like clockwork, Manchester United have remembered who they are, and a small club on Lake Como just walked into the Champions League as if it had always belonged there.
This round belonged to the Ballon d’Or nominees. It started in Munich, where Bayern tore into Bodø/Glimt 5-0 and reminded Europe what a ruthless heavyweight looks like.
Kane’s streak, Musiala’s message
For 45 minutes, Bodø/Glimt held firm. Then their night collapsed in an instant. Goalkeeper Nikita Haikin didn’t emerge after halftime with the score still 0-0, and without their anchor, the Norwegian side simply fell apart.
Jamal Musiala broke them first. On his return to the starting lineup after on-field seizures caused by a neurological condition disrupted his preseason, he found the net for Bayern’s opener and marked the moment by tapping his head in a pointed celebration. It felt like a personal checkpoint as much as a goal.
Once the door was open, Kane strode through it. The England captain climbed to head in Bayern’s second and extend an extraordinary run: he has now scored in eight consecutive Champions League games, a streak stretching back to January. He looks settled, he looks sharp, and he looks relentless.
Bayern didn’t stop there. Alphonso Davies joined the party with the third, surging forward and adding his name to a growing list of scorers on a night that turned into a rout. Michael Olise struck twice as the Germans ran riot and Bodø/Glimt, last season’s surprise package, were simply swept away.
United back under the lights
Across the continent, Old Trafford lit up again. Nearly three years after their last appearance in the competition, Manchester United returned to the Champions League and did it with a 4-0 statement win over Sabah of Azerbaijan.
The tension that usually hangs over a European night in Manchester didn’t last long. In the 27th minute, Matheus Cunha broke it, firing United into the lead and loosening shoulders in the stands. Once that first goal went in, the floodgates opened.
Bruno Fernandes added the second before the break, Benjamin Sesko made it three by halftime, and the tie was effectively over before the players disappeared down the tunnel. United were not just back; they were enjoying themselves.
After the restart, Lisandro Martinez scrambled home a fourth to complete the rout. It was United’s first Champions League game since December 2023, but the performance carried the swagger of a club determined to make up for lost time.
Como’s golden generation in the front row
The most romantic story of the night came from Como. A club taking its first steps in the Champions League decided its oldest fans should see it from the best seats in the stadium.
President Mirwan Surwaso and the club’s directors gave up their prime spots to supporters born in 1950 or earlier. They had waited a lifetime for this. What they got was a 4-1 win over Leipzig and a memory that will not fade.
Croatian midfielder Martin Baturina wrote the first line of Como’s Champions League history, scoring the club’s first-ever goal in the competition and setting them on course for a famous victory. From there, Como never looked overawed, never looked like debutants. On a night of European giants, a newcomer stole a slice of the spotlight.
Roma, Fenerbahce and the long road back
Not every returning name found the same joy. Roma and Fenerbahce both came back to the Champions League after long absences, shared the points in a 1-1 draw, and walked away with mixed feelings.
Roma, missing from the competition for seven seasons since reaching the last 16 in 2018-19, struck first. Bryan Cristante drove a low shot from outside the box in the 39th minute to give the Italians the lead and a sense that their European reset was on track.
Fenerbahce, back in the Champions League for the first time since 2008-09, refused to let the occasion pass them by. Left back Archie Brown drifted into a center forward’s position early in the second half and finished like he had played there all his life, flicking the ball over the goalkeeper to level in the 48th minute.
The Turkish side almost stole it late on. Nathan Aké rose to meet a cross and powered a header against the bar, inches away from turning a solid point into a statement win.
Late drama across the board
Elsewhere, the margins were just as thin.
In Eindhoven, United States full back Sergiño Dest stepped up for PSV. After Gleiker Mendoza had put Shakhtar Donetsk in front, Dest arrived at the back post to meet a low cross and slam in the equalizer in a 1-1 draw that left both sides feeling they had more to give.
In Prague, chaos reigned in stoppage time. Slavia Prague, reduced to 10 men early in the second half, somehow led twice against Lens. They looked set to cling on. Then the French side produced a stunning late surge, scoring twice in added time to turn 2-1 defeat into a 3-2 win and rip the points from Slavia’s grasp.
On a night of comebacks, milestones and streaks, the Champions League reminded everyone why it still grips the continent: giants flexing, underdogs swinging, and a club from Como proving that sometimes the best European stories start on day one.
