Real Madrid beat Marseille, Juventus and Dortmund draw in goal fest

Record-holders Real Madrid had to work hard on Tuesday to overcome Marseille in their Champions League league phase opener, on a night of drama that also saw Benfica suffer a stunning collapse at home against Qarabag.

At the Santiago Bernabéu, French superstar Kylian Mbappé struck twice, both from the penalty spot, to secure a 2-1 win for 15-time champions Real Madrid. Meanwhile, in Lisbon, the unthinkable unfolded as Azerbaijani champions Qarabag turned a seemingly routine night for Benfica into a nightmare, overturning a 2-0 deficit to claim a historic 3-2 victory.

For Benfica, it was meant to be one of the most comfortable fixtures of their eight-match league phase campaign. Bruno Lage’s side raced into an early lead with goals from Enzo Barrenechea in the 6th minute and Greek striker Vangelis Pavlidis in the 16th. The Estádio da Luz crowd expected a goal fest, but Qarabag had other ideas. Cape Verde international Leandro Andrade, who was born in Tavira, Portugal, halved the deficit in the 30th minute, before Colombian forward Jhon Durán, a former Portimonense player, leveled the score just after halftime. The stunning turnaround was completed by Ibrahima Kashchuk in the 86th minute, leaving Benfica fans shell-shocked.

The defeat will be remembered as one of Benfica’s worst European nights in recent history and as a landmark moment for Azerbaijani football, marking the first-ever Champions League victory for a club from that nation. It also piles pressure on Bruno Lage, whose team had already shown signs of vulnerability with a league draw against Santa Clara and unconvincing displays against lower-ranked opponents like Alverca and Estrela da Amadora.

In Madrid, the night also tested Real’s resilience. Marseille, full of energy and ambition, silenced the Bernabéu when Timothy Weah gave them the lead in the 22nd minute. The French side could have extended their advantage with several missed chances, but Madrid responded with typical composure. Mbappé converted a penalty in the 29th minute to restore parity and struck again from the spot in the 81st, even though Real were down to 10 men after Dani Carvajal’s 72nd-minute red card. Marseille left empty-handed despite a brave performance, while Xabi Alonso marked his Champions League debut as Real Madrid coach with a valuable, hard-fought win.

In London, Tottenham edged Villarreal 1-0 in a far calmer contest. The decisive moment came in just the fourth minute, when Brazilian goalkeeper Luiz Júnior, formerly of Famalicão, turned the ball into his own net while trying to deal with a cross. João Palhinha featured for Spurs in the second half, while Portuguese defender Renato Veiga started for Villarreal.

The most thrilling spectacle of the evening, however, came in Turin, where Juventus and Borussia Dortmund delivered an unforgettable 4-4 draw at the Allianz Stadium. After a goalless first half, the second period exploded into life. Karim Adeyemi put Dortmund ahead in the 52nd minute, but Juventus responded through Turkish youngster Kenan Yildiz in the 63rd, assisted by João Mário. Nmecha quickly restored Dortmund’s advantage in the 65th, before Dusan Vlahovic equalized again in the 67th.

The German side then looked set to claim a dramatic away win, as Yan Couto formerly of Braga made it 3-2 in the 74th minute and Ramy Bensebaini extended the lead with a penalty in the 86th. But Juventus produced a stunning stoppage-time comeback: Vlahovic pulled one back in the 94th minute before setting up English defender Lloyd Kelly for the equalizer in the 96th. The eight-goal thriller will surely go down as one of the most memorable second halves in Champions League history.

Overall, it was a Champions League night filled with drama, shocks, and individual brilliance from Real Madrid’s reliance on Mbappé, to Qarabag’s fairytale in Lisbon, to Juventus and Dortmund’s extraordinary rollercoaster.