UCL: Cityzens turn it around to avoid a shock, Felix enjoying Blaugrana

Reigning champions Manchester City made a winning start to their Champions League Group G campaign, after coming back to win 3-1 against Red Star Belgrade at the Etihad Stadium.

Pep Guardiola's treble winners might have swept all before them last season, but there were little signs of a loss of appetite as a wave of Sky Blue descended on their visitors in North West England. It’s five years to the day that Manchester City last lost a European game at home and that stat may have been ringing in the ears of Red Star Belgrade keeper Omri Glazer, when Erling Haaland rocketed the crossbar on the 25th-minute mark after total dominance from the hosts.

UCL: A goalkeper's goal saves Lazio from defeat

It was hard not to admire the character displayed by the visitors however, and last season’s invincible winners of the Serbian SuperLiga were roared on by fans who happily reminded those in the stadium that their club are European Cup winners themselves. After several more superb interventions from a defiant Glazer, the visitors took a barely believable lead when Osman Bukari broke City’s defensive line and finished emphatically seconds before halftime.

That goal proved to have simply poked the bear, and after racking up 22 shots - the most any side has managed in the first half of a Champions League match - their 23rd effort was decisively tucked home by Julián Álvarez after a neat touch took him around the visiting keeper. Full of confidence, City almost doubled their lead immediately but Kyle Walker’s 8-yard finish was ruled out for a narrow offside.

Another superb Glazer stop denied a frustrated Haaland, but the keeper was at fault on the hour mark after missing what appeared to be a simple punch when Álvarez’s free-kick sailed over his head and into the net. Yet, Glazer would make amends for that error shortly after, denying Haaland from point-blank range as the game threatened to get away from Red Star Belgrade.

An inevitable third goal arrived when Rodri sumptuously side-footed home to send the Sky Blues cruising towards another triumph. A testing night for the visitors, but, despite the disappointment of losing a lead they held at the interval, it’s likely that coach Barak Bachar will have been pleased by many elements of his side's display against one of Europe’s best sides.

Elsewhere, Barcelona cruised to a 5-0 victory over Royal Antwerp in their first Champions League game in their temporary home Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, handing the Belgians a harsh lesson on their competition debut.

Barcelona came out of the traps quickly and were ahead after just 11 minutes, as João Félix marked his maiden Champions League appearance for the club with a goal - a fine finish into the near post after a Barça-esque tiki-taka move. Robert Lewandowski tapped home a second just eight minutes later - his 100th goal in UEFA club competition - after being set up by Félix following a lovely through pass by Frenkie de Jong.

Jelle Bataille deflected a Raphinha cross onto the inside of the post and into his own net to give the hosts a 3-0 lead just 22 minutes in, as the visitors struggled to get out of their own half. Antwerp recorded their first shot shortly before halftime, but Arbnor Muja’s effort was comfortably saved by Marc-André ter Stegen.

It took just nine minutes into the second half for Xavi’s men to net their fourth; a powerful drive on his weaker left foot from Gavi found the top corner for his first-ever goal in the competition. Félix then headed in his second, and Barça’s fifth, following a sumptuous cross from Raphinha, before being taken off shortly after to a standing ovation. He was replaced by 16-year-old Lamine Yamal, who got a chance to impress in his first appearance in the competition, after featuring in every La Liga match so far this season.

The youngster had two big chances to score 10 minutes after coming on, first rounding goalkeeper Jean Butez and then hitting the side netting on his weaker right foot, before moments later seeing a shot blocked from close range. The result will give Barcelona confidence that they can ease through into the knockouts and avoid a repeat of last campaign, where they crashed out at the group stage. For Mark van Bommel’s side, it is a harsh reality of what can happen at this level, as they look forward to their first home game in the competition against Shakhtar Donetsk.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - MATCHDAY 1

Tuesday

Milan - Newcastle 0-0

Young Boys - RB Leipzig 1-3 (1-1)

/Elia 33 - Simakan 3, Xaver 73, Sesko 92/

Feyenoord - Celtic 2-0 (1-0)

/Stengs 45+2, Jahanbakhsh 73/

Lazio - Atl.Madrid 1-1 (0-1)

/Provedel 90+5 - Barrios 29/

PSG - Dortmund 2-0 (0-0)

/Mbappe 49 pen, Hakimi 58/

Man.City - Crvena Zvezda 3-1 (0-1)

/Alvarez 47, 60, Rodri 73 - Bukari 45/

Barcelona - Antwerp 5-0 (3-0)

/Felix 11, 66, Lewandowski 19, Bataille 22 og, Gavi 54/

Shakhtar - Porto 1-3 (1-3)

/Kelsy 29 - Galeno 8, 15, Taremi 30/

Wednesday

19.45: (1.63) Galatasaray (4.00) Copenhagen (6.25)

19.45: (1.40) Real Madrid (5.00) Union Berlin (9.00)

22.00: (1.58) Bayern (4.30) Man.Utd. (6.25)

22.00: (1.40) Arsenal (5.30) PSV (8.00)

22.00: (1.95) Sevilla (3.60) Lens (4.20)

22.00: (4.50) Braga (3.60) Napoli (1.90)

22.00: (1.45) Benfica (4.80) Salzburg (8.00)

22.00: (3.20) Sociedad (3.40) Inter (2.40)

***odds are subject to change