Firmino hands Liverpool flying start

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Atletico undo Monaco as Dortmund pip Brugge

LIVERPOOL, Sept 19, (Agencies): Liverpool left it late but showed Paris Saint-Germain have plenty of work to do if they are to challenge for a first-ever Champions League title as Roberto Firmino struck a stoppage time winner in a 3-2 victory at Anfield.

Despite the late drama, victory was well deserved for last season’s finalists who dominated throughout and bounced back from blowing a 2-0 first-half lead to take the early advantage in Group C.

Daniel Sturridge and a James Milner penalty put the hosts in command before Thomas Meunier reduced PSG’s arrears.

Having kept Kylian Mbappe and the world’s most expensive player Neymar quiet for almost the entire match, Liverpool seemed set to pay a heavy price for one poor pass by Mohamed Salah as Mbappe swept home seven minutes from time in front of a stunned Kop.

But Firmino, who started on the bench due to an eye injury suffered against Tottenham on Saturday, had the final say as he twisted and turned before firing into the far corner to stretch Liverpool’s perfect start to the season to six games.

PSG crumbled on their Champions League travels to Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in the past two seasons and their ability to challenge for the competition under new boss Thomas Tuchel was again questioned as they struggled to contain Liverpool’s greater speed and power in midfield.

Up front, Firmino’s absence opened the door for Sturridge to make his first Champions League start for the club.

Six minutes later, PSG’s deficit was doubled when Juan Bernat tripped Georginio Wijnaldum inside the area and Milner slammed the resulting penalty into the bottom corner.

However, the visitors were handed a lifeline through right-back Meunier, rather than one of their famed front three, as the Belgian skilfully readjusted to volley home Robertson’s miscued clearance.

Klopp was annoyed at his side for having to survive a nervous finale at Wembley on Saturday after passing up a series of chances to put the game to bed.

And it looked like this time they would pay as Salah had a goal ruled out for a foul by Sturridge before the latter headed a glorious chance into the arms of Areola.

Seven minutes from time, Salah’s slack pass was intercepted and quickly fed into Neymar, with Van Dijk’s tackle on the Brazilian only rebounding into the path of Mbappe to fire home.

Klopp responded by replacing Salah with Xherdan Shaqiri as Liverpool instantly went in search of a winner.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s deflected free-kick came back off the woodwork before they finally got their reward when Firmino powered home.

Dortmund 1, Brugge 0

Christian Pulisic celebrated his 20th birthday in style with a lucky late goal as Borussia Dortmund won 1-0 at Club Brugge in the Champions League.

The US international claimed the winner in fortuitous fashion by charging down a clearance from Brugge defender Matej Mitrovic which looped over the goalkeeper on 85 minutes.

It was a huge slice of good fortune but one that ended Dortmund’s 10-match winless streak in the Champions League.

While Pulisic spared Dortmund’s blushes in Belgium on his 100th appearance for the club, it was a bad night for Mario Goetze.

The struggling Germany international made a rare start after being an unused substitute in the first three Bundesliga this season, but endured a frustrating hour in an attacking midfield role.

Goetze is a pale shadow of the player who hit the winner in the 2014 World Cup final and was hauled off midway through the second half after making little impact.

Having been left out of Germany’s World Cup squad for Russia, the 26-year-old is a long way from the player who helped Dortmund win back-to-back Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012.

However, Dortmund were delighted to win away after failing to win any of their six group stage games last season.

This was their first win in Europe since reaching the quarter-finals in 2016/17, but they will need to improve at home to Monaco in their second Group A game in a fortnight.

Thanks mainly to their goalkeeper Roman Burki, Dortmund were lucky to go into the break with the score goalless as Brugge, last season’s Belgian league champions, wasted clear chances.

Dortmund skipper Reus came to the rescue by deflecting a shot by Brugge striker Jelle Vossen after 20 minutes.

Dortmund were more aggressive after the break as head coach Lucien Favre brought on Shinji Kagawa with an hour gone, finally losing patience with Goetze.

Pulisic, who came on for England youth international Jadon Sancho, eventually broke the deadlock after he was thrown on for the final 20 minutes.

The all-action American gave away a free-kick before popping up with the winner to get Dortmund off to a victorious start in Europe.

Atletico 2, Monaco 1

Atletico Madrid came from behind to beat Monaco 2-1 in their Champions League Group A opener with star strikers Diego Costa and Antoine Griezmann detonating the fightback.

The visitors had fallen behind against the run of play in the 18th minute when winger Samuel Grandsir forced the ball home in a goalmouth scramble after good work from Radamel Falcao.

But Costa then ran onto a wonderful flick-on from Griezmann to fire a snap-shot low and hard past Monaco’s onrushing Swiss stopper Diego Benaglio to level the scores on the half-hour.

Jose Maria Giminez – remembered for crying on the pitch when France beat Uruguay 2-0 in the World Cup quarter-finals in Russia – then headed home a corner in first-half stoppage-time to take the wind out of Monaco’s sails at a key moment.

The pitch cut up worryingly and groundsmen scrambled at half-time to pound in sods of detached turf.

Former Monaco striker Thierry Henry and ex-coach Didier Deschamps were in the stands where just 12,000 fans showed up and amongst them a mere 80 Atletico supporters.

Atletico have had a stuttering start to their La Liga campaign, and with coach Diego Simeone on the final match of a four-game touchline ban, the visitors were marshalled by the menacing bulk of his brooding assistant German Burgos prowling the line.

Monaco’s Polish defender Kamil Glik appeared to be relishing his role, keeping tabs on Costa and apart from the goal did a solid job on the Atletico target man.

Falcao never stopped searching for an equalizer against his old club, almost earning a penalty in the 66th minute and lashing a shot just wide moments later.

Glik saw a last-gasp header go just wide with the fans on their feet, but Atletico were otherwise untroubled in the latter stages.

France international forward Thomas Lemar was back at the Stade Louis II after his close-season switch to Madrid and came on late as Atletico sweated out the final minutes to clinch three precious away points.

Red Star 0, Napoli 0

Former European Cup winners Red Star Belgrade held Carlo Ancelotti’s Napoli to a creditable 0-0 draw as the Serbian club made their debut in the Champions League group stage.

Lorenzo Insigne rattled the crossbar in the first half for Napoli, while Red Star defender Milan Rodic made a vital goal-line clearance to deny Jose Callejon in the Group C encounter.

Home goalkeeper Milan Borjan also produced a sharp stop to keep out an effort from Poland international Arkadiusz Milik, as Red Star were restricted to a late attempt from Richmond Boakye.

“We didn’t do much wrong, we controlled the game but the finishing was lacking,” said Ancelotti, who took over at Napoli in the summer.

“It’s difficult to play against a defense like that of Red Star. Our forwards were alone in front of the goalkeeper several times but we didn’t have that bit of luck. I think we could have won.” Red Star last appeared in Europe’s premier club competition in 1991-92, the season after they defeated Marseille in the final on penalties in Bari to lift the trophy.

Red Star players from that title-winning side performed a lap of honour before kick-off at a raucous Stadion Rajko Mitic, with Ancelotti – a three-time European champion as coach – in the opposing dugout.

The Italian left club-record goal-scorer Marek Hamsik and Dries Mertens on the bench, introducing them in the second half, although Napoli were unable to find a way past a Red Star backline that recorded an eighth clean sheet in 10 home matches this season.

Schalke 1, Porto 1

Schalke 04 marked their return to the Champions League after a three-year absence with a 1-1 draw at home to Porto in their Group D opener on Tuesday to earn some respite after a poor start to their Bundesliga season.

Schalke went into the game having lost all three domestic league matches so far but forward Breel Embolo put the hosts ahead in the 64th minute before Otavio levelled with Porto’s second penalty of the evening 11 minutes later.

With eight Champions League debutants in Schalke’s starting lineup, Domenico Tedesco’s side needed some time to settle in.

Porto, who won the 2004 Champions League title in the same stadium, got a 13th-minute penalty when Alex Telles’ deep throw-in landed on Naldo’s arm. But keeper Ralf Faehrmann picked the right corner and spectacularly palmed Telles’ penalty to safety.

The Schalke captain came to the rescue again two minutes after the restart with a sensational reflex save to keep out a point-blank Felipe header.

The home side gradually grew more adventurous, and after twice failing to score on the break, Embolo found a way to beat Iker Casillas, playing in a record 20th Champions League campaign.

But another Naldo foul in the box gave the Portuguese the chance to level from the penalty spot and Otavio this time sent Faehrmann the wrong way to grab a point for the visitors.

In the other group match Turkey’s Galatasaray cruised past Lokomotiv Moscow 3-0 with goals from Garry Rodrigues, Eren Derdiyok and a stoppage-time penalty from Selcuk Inan.

The hosts were rarely threatened by the Russian champions but ended the game with 10 men following the dismissal of Badou Ndiaye with a second booking three minutes from the end.

Galatasaray 3, Lokomotiv 0

Galatasaray returned to the Champions League in style, beating Lokomotiv Moscow 3-0.

After spending two seasons outside Europe’s premier club competition, the Turkish champions beat their Russian counterparts with high-tempo tactics and swift counter-attacks in the Group D game.

Garry Rodrigues gave Galatasaray the lead in the ninth minute with a low hard shot from just outside the penalty area. Lokomotiv keeper Guilherme got a hand to the ball, but couldn’t stop it.

Eren Derdiyok doubled Galatasaray’s lead in the 67th when he curled a free kick around the Lokomotiv wall. Only Guilherme’s outstretched hand stopped Rodrigues making it 3-0 on a breakaway in the 75th.

Galatasaray midfielder Badou Ndiaye was sent off in the 87th after earning a second yellow card for a late tackle on Anton Miranchuk.

Selcuk Inan scored Galatasaray’s third from the penalty spot in stoppage time after Guilherme brought down Emre Akbaba on a counter-attack.

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