New Champions League format makes its debut with same old winners: Madrid, Liverpool, Bayern, Juve
New Champions League format makes its debut with same old winners: Madrid, Liverpool, Bayern, Juve
ROME (AP) — New format. Same old winners.
The revamped Champions League made its debut Tuesday with some familiar clubs claiming victories on opening night.
After joining from Paris Saint-Germain, Kylian Mbappé scored for 15-time champion Real Madrid, which needed late goals from Antonio Rudiger and Endrick to beat Stuttgart 3-1.
Six-time champion Liverpool came back from a goal down for a 3-1 win at seven-time champion AC Milan in a rematch of the 2005 and 2007 finals.
Harry Kane scored four in Bayern Munich’s 9-2 rout of Dinamo Zagreb as the German club opened its bid for a seventh title — which could be achieved in its home stadium in May.
Two-time champion Juventus dispatched PSV Eindhoven 3-1.
During the new league phase, all 36 teams are ranked from top to bottom in a single standings that finishes in January.
Also, Aston Villa returned to the competition for the first time in 41 years and won 3-0 at Young Boys; and Sporting Lisbon beat 10-man Lille 2-0.
The first round of league matches continues with six more matches on both Tuesday and Wednesday.
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By ANDREW DAMPF
AP Sports Writer
