Overview
- Marcus Rashford scored his first Barcelona goals with strikes in the 58th and 67th minutes to secure a 2-1 win at Newcastle in the league-phase opener.
- Anthony Gordon pulled one back in the 90th minute for Newcastle, but Barcelona managed the closing stages to take all three points at St James’ Park.
- Manchester City beat Napoli 2-0 after the Napoli captain was sent off following an on-field review, setting the tone for the remainder of the match.
- Erling Haaland’s header on 56 minutes marked his 50th Champions League goal in just 49 appearances, with Jeremy Doku adding City’s second.
- Elsewhere, Eintracht Frankfurt thrashed Galatasaray 5-1, Sporting Lisbon beat Kairat Almaty 4-1, Club Brugge topped Monaco 4-1, and Bayer Leverkusen drew 2-2 at FC Copenhagen via a stoppage-time own goal.