Paris Saint-Germain picked up where they left off following the club’s triumph last season as they opened their new Champions League campaign with an impressive 4-0 win against Atalanta at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday.
Marquinhos opened the scoring inside the first three minutes, and PSG followed that up with goals from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes and Gonçalo Ramos, demonstrating the high pressing and fluid play that have become hallmarks of their game.
Bradley Barcola missed a penalty just before half-time, but it proved to be a footnote as Luis Enrique’s side underlined their status as defending champions after they overpowered Inter 5-0 in the final last season.
Inter began to banish those demons with victory in their opening game, Marcus Thuram powering home two headed goals as the Italian side won 2-0 away at Ajax.
Inter came into the fixture at the Johan Cruyff Arena on Wednesday after successive defeats in Serie A but proved too strong for their Dutch hosts with the France international taking centre stage.
Thuram stole in at the near post, attacking Hakan Calhanoglu’s corner and getting ahead of the Ajax defenders to turn in a powerful header three minutes before half-time to open the scoring.
Marcus Thuram gets the plaudits after opening the scoring for Inter. Photograph: Patrick Post/AP
His second goal came two minutes into the second half from another Calhanoglu corner, but this time he was more central and climbed above the home defence to score easily.
A wasteful Olympiakos could manage only a 0-0 home draw against 10-man Pafos, who emerged as defensive heroes in their Champions League opener.
Pafos faced a big challenge from the 26th minute when Bruno was dismissed after the forward received a second booking for a foul on the hosts’ Lorenzo Pirola, forcing the Cypriot side to play with 10 men for the rest of the match.
Despite the advantage, Olympiakos struggled, with Ayoub El Kaabi coming close early in the second half with a header that drifted wide. Pafos produced a valiant defensive effort, several times blocking attempts as chances grew for the hosts.
Norway’s Bodø/Glimt pulled off a sensational comeback to draw 2-2 away at Slavia Prague in their first Champions League group game, with Sondre Brunstad Fet scoring the 90th-minute equaliser.
“It’s a boyhood dream come true, and to get a goal is absolutely crazy,” Fet said. “It was a great strike, and it’s certainly the goal I’ve been happiest and most emotional about scoring.”