The 2017/18 Uefa Champions League season got off to a fantastic start on Tuesday with a total of 28 goals being scored giving fans a taste of what lies ahead.
The most coveted prize in European club football sees 32 of the continent's best teams fight it out over a season from September 2017 to May 2018 to claim Europe's elite title.
The tournament begins with group stages which sees four teams spread across eight groups. A team plays the other teams in its group twice, a home game and an away game. The top two teams with the most points in the group move on to the last 16 knockout stages followed by quarterfinals, semifinals and the finals on May 26 in Kiev, Ukraine.
On the opening night, all eyes were on Paris St German who fielded the world's most expensive frontline against Celtic in Scotland.
Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Edison Cavani were all on the scoresheet as the hammered Celtic 5-0.
PSG produced a potent display of force to sweep Celtic aside, inflicting the heaviest home European defeat on the Scottish side.
PSG, who have so often flattered to deceive among Europe’s elite, looked genuine contenders to make a run for the title as they mercilessly picked apart their opponents.
Neymar, making his first European appearance for PSG after his world-record move from Barcelona, orchestrated proceedings, ably assisted by teenager Mbappe and experienced Cavani, the other two members of PSG’s exciting forward trio.
All three were on target in an explosive first half, before an own goal from Mikael Lustig and a second from Uruguayan Cavani wrapped up proceedings late in the contest.
Barcelona
A mesmeric Lionel Messi scored twice as he inspired Barcelona to a 3-0 win over Juventus to get off to a flying start avenging last season’s quarterfinal elimination by the Italian champions.
Messi broke the deadlock on the stroke of halftime by playing a slick one-two off Luis Suarez and arrowing the ball beyond Gianluigi Buffon, finally getting the better of the veteran Italian in his fourth game against him.
The Argentine was also the catalyst for the second goal, forcing Juve to scramble the ball off the line and allowing Ivan Rakitic to shoot into an empty net in the 56th minute and add to his strike against Juve in the 2015 final.
But Messi was far from done. For his second and Barca’s third he received a pass from Andres Iniesta and ripped more holes in a depleted Juventus defence before lashing beyond a dejected Buffon, scoring his seventh goal in three games.
Chelsea
Chelsea enjoyed a triumphant return to the Champions League after a year out, thumping the competition’s debutants Qarabag 6-0, including a stunning, if miscued, strike from new signing Davide Zappacosta.
The Italian was joined on the scoresheet by another new Chelsea arrival Frenchman Tiemoue Bakayoko on a satisfying night for manager Antonio Conte after a summer of much-publicised frustration in the transfer market.
Chelsea ran riot in the second half against the Group C underdogs.
Defender Cesar Azplicueta knocked in an exquisite pass from Spanish compatriot Cesc Fabregas in the 55th minute.
Bakayoko, a second-half substitute then poked in a parried goal after a corner.
Belgian striker Michy Batshuayi added a goal in the 76th and Chelsea’s sixth was an own goal by defender Maksim Medvedev six minutes later.
Manchester United
Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford both opened their Champions League accounts as Manchester United returned to the competition with a 3-0 rout of Basel in their opening Group A match at Old Trafford.
United, who missed last season’s Champions League but qualified this time by winning the Europa League, dominated the first half and deservedly went ahead through early substitute Marouane Fellaini’s 35th-minute header.
Belgian international striker Lukaku, a constant menace to the Swiss champions on his competition debut, doubled United’s lead with a textbook header soon after halftime.
Rashford came off the bench for his first taste of Champions League action and poached United’s third goal in the 84th minute.
Tuesday Results
GROUP ABenfica 1 CSKA Moscow 2 Manchester United 3 FC Basel 0
GROUP B
Celtic 0 Paris Saint Germain 5
Bayern Munich 3 RSC Anderlecht 0
GROUP C
Chelsea 6 FK Qarabag 0
Roma 0 Atlético Madrid 0
GROUP D
Barcelona 3 Juventus 0
Olympiakos 2 Sporting Lisbon 3
Wednesday's Fixtures
GROUP E
Liverpool V Sevilla NK Maribor V Spartak Moscow
GROUP F
Feyenoord V Manchester City Shaktar Donetsk V Napoli
GROUP G
FC Porto V Besiktas RB Leipzig V Monaco
GROUP H
Real Madrid V Apoel Nicosia Tottenham Hotspur V Borussia Dortmund
