The new Champions League format started with a bang, bringing incredible excitement and major shocks across Europe. Underdogs like Qarabag and Union Saint-Gilloise pulled off stunning wins, proving that no game is easy in this new 36-team league. 

Big clubs had to fight hard for their wins, with Arsenal needing goals from their substitutes and Real Madrid relying on Mbappe’s penalties. 

The highlight of the night was a wild 4-4 match between Juventus and Dortmund, showing that this season is set to be full of goals and unpredictable results.

The evening delivered historic milestones for two unexpected clubs. 

Qarabag became the first club from Azerbaijan to win a match in the Champions League group stage or equivalent after a sensational comeback against Benfica in Portugal. 

The former European champions took an early 2-0 lead, but Qarabag fought back with goals from Leandro Andrade and Camilo Duran. 

The stunning 3-2 victory was secured in the 86th minute by Oleksiy Kashchuk. 

Midfielder Pedro Bicalho was named Man of the Match, representing the pride of a nation for whom this was a monumental moment.

Elsewhere, the fairy-tale rise of Union Saint-Gilloise continued as the Belgian side secured a decisive 3-1 upset over Dutch champions PSV in Eindhoven. 

Union, who recently ended a 90-year title drought at home, showed aggressive pressing and clinical finishing. 

Goals came from Promise David, Anouar Ait El Hadj, and Kevin Mac Allister, giving the Champions League newcomers an unforgettable debut victory.

The established giants of European football had to battle for their wins.

Arsenal secured a vital 2-0 away victory over Athletic Bilbao, thanks entirely to two goals created by substitutes. 

After a tense, scoreless first half, manager Mikel Arteta introduced Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard. 

Martinelli scored just 36 seconds after coming onto the pitch following a pass from Trossard, and Trossard added the second goal later, showcasing the £250 million summer investment in squad depth. 

Arteta praised the “finishers’ impact” after the match.

Real Madrid needed a late comeback, two penalty kicks, and the brilliance of Kylian Mbappe to edge out Marseille 2-1 at the Bernabeu. 

After falling behind to a goal from Timothy Weah, Mbappe equalized from the spot before halftime. 

Despite a red card to substitute Dani Carvajal, Mbappe scored his 50th goal for the club from a second penalty kick, sealing the win for the 15-time champions.

Meanwhile, Tottenham scraped by Villarreal 1-0 after a bizarre own goal in the fourth minute, with manager Thomas Frank celebrating his first Champions League win by focusing on a gritty clean sheet.

The most spectacular game of the night unfolded in Turin, where Juventus and Borussia Dortmund played out a wild 4-4 draw. 

After a goalless first half, the second 45 minutes saw eight goals, making it only the second time in Champions League history a second half has featured so many goals.

Goals poured in from both sides, including two from Juventus’s Dusan Vlahovic and strikes from young stars Kenan Yildiz and Karim Adeyemi. 

The chaos reached its peak in stoppage time when Vlahovic scored a 94th-minute rebound, only for Dortmund to grab a final equalizer. 

The sheer unpredictability of the result signals that the new league phase is poised to deliver a season full of incredible, high-scoring matches.

The opening night demonstrated that in the new, expanded Champions League format, no match is guaranteed, and depth and resilience will be key to making it to the top eight spots that advance directly to the knockout rounds.