Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham made blockbuster $100 million moves in the offseason, leaving their mark on their Champions League debuts for their new clubs on Wednesday.
Kane, the England national team captain, was on fire for Bayern Munich and his likely successor, Bellingham, delivered a sensational performance for Real Madrid.
Both players quickly endeared themselves to their new home fans with their remarkable contributions.
Kane’s moment of glory came when he converted a penalty to restore Bayern’s two-goal lead against Manchester United early in the second half of a thrilling 4-3 victory.
The final scoreline, however, was a result of a late surge by Manchester United, the club that had desperately sought to acquire Kane from Tottenham, hoping to keep him in England.
Reflecting on the match’s intensity, Kane remarked, "Toward the end of the game, it got a bit frantic," and suggested that Bayern "probably should have been 4- or 5-1 up after we got the third."
Meanwhile, Jude Bellingham found himself right where he wanted to be in Madrid, and his 94th-minute goal in a hard-fought 1-0 win over the newcomers, Union Berlin, marked his sixth goal in six consecutive victories for the Spanish giants this season.
Back in England, Arsenal made a resounding return to the Champions League after a six-year absence, effortlessly dispatching PSV Eindhoven 4-0, with England winger Bukayo Saka setting the tone with an early eighth-minute goal.
Late drama unfolded as Italian teams kicked off their campaigns in the last-ever group stage before the new Champions League format takes effect next year.
Napoli secured a 2-1 win against Braga, courtesy of an own-goal in the 88th minute by Mali defender Sikou Niakate.
Over at Inter Milan, Lautaro Martínez, a key figure in their run to last season’s final, salvaged a 1-1 draw against Real Sociedad with a crucial strike in the 87th minute.
In Istanbul, Galatasaray staged a remarkable comeback, scoring in the 86th and 88th minutes to deny Copenhagen a precious away win, resulting in an exciting 2-2 draw.
Meanwhile, the Europa League champions, Sevilla, were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Lens, who currently reside at the bottom of the French league standings.
A noteworthy upset occurred in Lisbon, as Salzburg surprised Benfica with a 2-0 victory.
The game took an unusual turn when Antonio Silva of Benfica was sent off in the 13th minute for a handball on the goal line, resulting in a penalty for Salzburg.
Roko Simic, who recently turned 20, confidently converted the penalty and later set up 19-year-old Israeli forward Oscar Gloukh for an easy goal early in the second half.
Real Madrid, with an illustrious history spanning 477 games in the European Cup or Champions League, faced Union Berlin, who were making their European debut.
Madrid’s experience proved decisive as Jude Bellingham, the young sensation, executed a dazzling move in the 94th minute, scoring a game-winning goal in a dramatic game of pinball in the goalmouth.
"I hope I keep on scoring goals in minute 94 or 95," Bellingham quipped, adding, "Although it might do my heart and the club, good to score earlier."
Madrid’s next challenge awaits at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on Oct. 3 when they face Napoli.
On the other hand, Manchester United and manager Erik ten Hag find themselves in a challenging phase, having lost three straight games and four of their last five.
Their woes were compounded when goalkeeper Andre Onana spilled Leroy Sané’s shot into the net, gifting Bayern a 28th-minute lead. Despite a goal by Rasmus Højlund in the 49th minute, United couldn’t secure a win.
In the lower tiers of European competition, the Europa Conference League kicked off with Lille defeating Slovenian champions Olimpija Ljubljana 2-0.
Canada’s Jonathan David opened the scoring with a 43rd-minute penalty. Notably, KI Klaksvik, hailing from the Faeroe Islands and making history as the first group-stage team from the region, joined Slovan Bratislava in the competition, with the rest of the Conference League set to begin on Thursday.