Champions League Highlights: Mourinho's Return and Haaland's Brilliance
Jose Mourinho’s second act at Real Madrid began with a win, but not the kind he usually scripts.
Back in the Champions League and back at the Bernabeu, Mourinho watched his team edge Inter Milan 2-1 on a wild night that could easily have spiralled into something far more chaotic. His own words summed it up: a game that finished 2-1 but “could have finished 7-6 without any problems.”
Mourinho back, Mbappe level with Raul
Real, record 15-time European champions, have turned again to Mourinho, and fate handed him a familiar opponent on his return to the competition – the Inter side he led to glory in 2010.
The start was ruthless, if heavily assisted.
Midway through the first half, Inter’s defence imploded. Yann Bisseck’s error opened the door for Kylian Mbappe, who pounced to score on his 99th Champions League appearance. That goal took Mbappe to 71 in the competition, pulling him level with club legend Raul. Same stage, same shirt, same tally.
Inter then gifted Madrid a second. Goalkeeper Josep Martinez tried to dance away from Fede Valverde inside his own six-yard box. He hesitated, Valverde didn’t. The Uruguayan nicked the ball and stabbed it in, punishment for an overcomplicated touch in the most dangerous area of the pitch.
At 2-0, Real looked comfortable. They weren’t.
Carlos Augusto dragged Inter back into the contest, and the game opened up. Chances came, nerves frayed, and Mourinho’s touchline figure grew more animated as Real clung on. The scoreline stayed narrow, the points stayed in Madrid.
The Champions League had its drama back. So did Mourinho.
Haaland the “animal” as City keep rolling
In Portugal, Manchester City’s title defence gathered pace under Enzo Maresca with a clinical 2-0 win away to Porto.
The match broke open two minutes into the second half. Enzo Fernandez swung in a cross, and Erling Haaland did what Erling Haaland does. A thumping header, a familiar celebration, and City in front.
Porto chased, but the Norwegian closed the door in stoppage time, striking again to seal the result. Two goals on the night, 59 in 59 Champions League appearances overall – a scarcely believable return, even by his own standards.
“Erling Haaland is an animal. He is a beast,” Fernandez told Amazon Prime, making it clear where City’s eyes go whenever he’s on the pitch.
For Maresca, it was a fourth consecutive victory in all competitions. City, champions of Europe in 2023, now turn towards a heavyweight home clash with current holders Paris Saint-Germain. The stakes rise quickly in this competition. So does City’s rhythm.
Villa shake off the rust
Aston Villa arrived in Belgium with questions hanging over them after a stuttering start to the season. They left with a 3-2 win at Club Brugge and something far more valuable: a jolt of confidence.
Unai Emery’s side, who have yet to score in three Premier League outings, found their touch in Europe instead. John McGinn curled a precise finish into the far corner to open the scoring, a captain’s strike that felt like a release.
The lead didn’t last long. Hugo Vetlesen brought Brugge level, only for Villa to respond almost immediately. Emiliano Buendia restored the advantage, and suddenly Emery’s team were flowing.
Then came the moment of chaos that made it 3-1. Summer signing Nicolas Jackson sprinted through after goalkeeper Yann Sommer charged out of his box and failed to reach the ball. Jackson calmly rolled in his first goal for Villa two minutes before the break.
Brugge refused to fold. Nicolo Tresoldi cut the deficit just after the hour from the penalty spot following a handball by Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Tresoldi then hit the post as the pressure grew, but Villa held firm.
“We took one step forward today and it was very, very important for our confidence and stability,” Emery said. On this evidence, it was a big one.
Guirassy at both ends in Dortmund thriller
At Signal Iduna Park, Borussia Dortmund opened their campaign with a 3-2 victory over Villarreal that had one man at the heart of almost everything.
Serhou Guirassy.
Last season’s runners-up went ahead early in the second half when Renato Veiga turned the ball into his own net. Villarreal hit back through Santiago Mourino, who rose to head in the equaliser and silence the Yellow Wall for a moment.
The tension built. Then Guirassy took over.
With 10 minutes to play, he struck to restore Dortmund’s lead. Soon after, he buried a penalty for his second and Dortmund’s third, seemingly wrapping up the night.
He still had one more twist to offer, and not in the way he’d have wanted. A Gregor Kobel save cannoned off Guirassy’s face and bounced into his own net. An own goal, a painful one, but not enough to deny Dortmund the win.
Three for his team, two for himself, one off his face. A bizarre, unforgettable evening.
Parrott punishes Lille, Marin stuns LASK
Real Betis waited 21 years to return to the Champions League. They are wasting no time making it memorable.
In Lille, they came from behind twice to win 3-2, with Troy Parrott again the hero. Ayase Ueda struck first for the hosts, only for Marc Bartra to level. Alexsandro put Lille back in front, Bartra equalised again. The pattern was set: Lille punch, Betis respond.
Then Parrott stepped in.
The Irish forward, who had scored the winner against Real Madrid at the weekend, delivered again on 53 minutes with the decisive goal. Betis, back on the biggest stage after more than two decades, walked away with a statement victory.
Lille’s night got worse late on when Ethan Mbappe, younger brother of Kylian, was sent off, leaving the French side to finish with 10 men.
Elsewhere, Greek champions AEK Athens edged LASK 1-0. The difference came from a single, spectacular moment: a stunning free-kick by Razvan Marin, whipped in with the kind of precision that decides tight European nights.
Matchday one has only just begun, spread across three nights, but the tone is already set: big names delivering, old stories revived, and new ones racing to catch up.
