Aston Villa start Champions League with win

AP:

Aston Villa put their domestic struggles behind them with a 3-2 victory over Club Brugge in the Champions League yesterday.

The win in Belgium ended Villa’s winless and scoreless start to the 2026-27 campaign after a difficult opening to the Premier League season.

John McGinn scored the first goal of Villa’s Champions League campaign with a low finish from a tight angle in the 11th minute. Hugo Vetlesen equalised for Brugge, but Emiliano Buendia and Nicolas Jackson struck before half-time to give Villa a 3-1 lead at the break.

Nicolo Tresoldi pulled one back for the home side from the penalty spot in the 61st minute, but Villa held on to secure the victory.

Manager Unai Emery will hope the result serves as a catalyst for his team’s season following the summer departures of key players Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins, Ezri Konsa and Emi Martinez.

His reshaped squad lost to Brighton and Arsenal in the Premier League before earning their first point of the season in a goalless draw with newly promoted Hull City on Saturday. Villa had managed only one shot on target across those three matches.

AEK Athens defeated LASK 1-0, thanks to Razvan Marin’s first-half strike.

Mourinho’s return

Real Madrid began their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 victory over Inter Milan yesterday under new coach Jose Mourinho, who is seeking to win the competition for a third time.

Mourinho returned to Madrid for a second spell after managing the Spanish giants from 2010 to 2013.

He won La Liga and the Copa del Rey during that period but failed to lift the Champions League trophy. Since then, Madrid have continued their dominance in European club football, winning six more Champions League titles to extend their record to 15.

Another Champions League success would see Mourinho join Pep Guardiola, Luis Enrique, Zinedine Zidane and Bob Paisley on three titles. However, he says he has no unfinished business from his first spell at the club.

“I finished my work here in 2013. We won what we won, and we lost what we lost. We gave everything, but it’s a closed chapter,” Mourinho said. “This has nothing to do with the past, absolutely nothing.”

Mourinho won the Champions League with Inter Milan in 2010 after first lifting the trophy with Porto in 2004.

Elsewhere, Manchester City defeated Porto 2-0, while Borussia Dortmund edged hosts Villarreal 3-2. Lille lost by the same scoreline to Real Betis.

Two-time defending champions Paris Saint-Germain play today at home against Slovan Bratislava.