Champions League Highlights: Kane, United, and Como Shine
Harry Kane cannot stop. Manchester United finally remembered what it feels like. And Como, of all clubs, turned its first Champions League outing into a party.
Across Europe, Ballon d'Or nominees and unlikely newcomers shared the spotlight on a wild night in the competition.
Kane and Bayern crush Bodø/Glimt
Bayern Munich toyed with last season’s darlings Bodø/Glimt, then tore them apart.
The Norwegian side held out for 45 minutes in Munich and reached halftime at 0-0, but the game changed the moment goalkeeper Nikita Haikin failed to reappear after the break due to injury. Once he went off, Bodø/Glimt went with him.
Jamal Musiala, starting for the first time since on-field seizures linked to a neurological condition disrupted his preseason, broke the deadlock and the tension. He finished, then tapped his head in a pointed celebration, a quiet, personal moment in a 5-0 demolition.
The pressure finally told again and, of course, it was Kane. The England captain rose to head in Bayern’s second and extend his astonishing streak: eight consecutive Champions League games with a goal, a run dating back to January. He looks at home in this competition, and Bayern look built around his ruthlessness.
Canada’s Alphonso Davies joined the fun, racing forward to smash in Bayern’s third. Michael Olise then took over the scoreboard, striking twice to complete the rout and bury any memory of Bodø/Glimt’s fairytale from last season. By the end, it was damage limitation for the visitors and a statement win for a Bayern side that rarely needs one.
United back with a bang
Old Trafford has missed nights like this.
Nearly three years since Manchester United last played a Champions League match, the stadium finally felt like itself again as the team returned with a 4-0 win over Sabah of Azerbaijan.
The tone was set early. In the 27th minute, Matheus Cunha stepped up and drilled United into the lead, a clean, decisive finish that released months of pent-up European frustration. From there, the floodgates opened.
Bruno Fernandes did what he so often does under the lights, adding a second before halftime. Benjamin Sesko joined him on the scoresheet, turning a promising performance into a commanding 3-0 lead by the break. Sabah never recovered.
Any hope of a quiet second half vanished when Lisandro Martínez scrambled home a fourth. It was not pretty, but it did not need to be. It was defiant, aggressive, and symbolic of a United side intent on making up for lost time in a competition they once treated as their natural home.
Their last Champions League appearance came in December 2023. This felt like a club determined to make sure the next gap is not nearly as long.
Como’s elders and a night to remember
In Como, history arrived with a human touch.
For the club’s first-ever Champions League match, president Mirwan Surwaso and the directors handed over the best seats in the stadium to supporters born in 1950 or earlier. The oldest fans, the ones who had waited longest, watched from prime positions as Como dismantled Leipzig 4-1.
They did not just witness a debut. They saw a statement.
Croatian midfielder Martin Baturina etched his name into club folklore by scoring Como’s first goal in the competition, a strike that set the tone and sent belief surging through the stands. From that moment, Leipzig never looked comfortable. Como grew bolder, more assured, and turned a historic occasion into a commanding win.
For a club that has spent most of its life far from Europe’s elite, this was not just a result. It was a reintroduction.
Roma, Fenerbahce and PSV held on return
Not everyone returning to the Champions League got the ending they wanted.
Roma and Fenerbahce, both back after long absences, had to settle for a 1-1 draw in a tense, tactical contest earlier in the day.
Roma, away from the Champions League since the 2018-19 season when they reached the last 16, seized control in the 39th minute. Bryan Cristante drilled a low shot from outside the box to give the Italian side the lead and a taste of the old days.
Fenerbahce, making their first appearance in Europe’s top competition since 2008-09, refused to play the role of grateful guests. Left back Archie Brown pushed up into a center forward’s position and finished like a seasoned striker, delicately flicking the ball over the goalkeeper to level in the 48th minute.
The Turkish side almost stole it late. Nathan Aké rose and powered a header against the bar, inches away from turning a solid point into a famous away win.
Elsewhere, United States full back Sergiño Dest left his mark for PSV Eindhoven. After Gleiker Mendoza had put Shakhtar Donetsk ahead, Dest burst into the box to meet a low cross and sweep in the equalizer in another 1-1 draw that felt like a missed opportunity for both sides.
Late drama in Prague
The night refused to wind down quietly.
In Prague, Slavia twice led Lens despite playing with 10 men from the start of the second half. The Czech side fought, scrambled and clung to their advantage, but the French visitors would not let the game die.
Deep into stoppage time, Lens struck. Then they struck again.
Two goals at the death flipped a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 away win, the kind of finish that can ignite a campaign and haunt a dressing room for weeks. Slavia had the lead, the resistance, and the story. Lens walked away with the points.
Across Europe, the Champions League’s opening acts have already drawn their battle lines: old powers flexing, new faces arriving, and one relentless English striker refusing to take a night off.
