Bayern Munich opened the defense of its Champions league title with a comfortable 3-0 win over CSKA Moscow on Tuesday, while Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat trick as Real Madrid thrashed Galatasaray 6-1.
David Alaba gave Bayern a perfect start in the fourth minute, with further goals from Mario Mandzukic and Arjen Robben ensuring a winning start. “I could hear from fans today, ‘Finale, Finale,’ but let’s keep our feet on the ground. We need to go step by step,” Robben said. “It’s early in the season. The most important thing is to concentrate on ourselves, improve as we go on. It was a good start.”
Bayern’s Group D rivals Manchester City beat Viktoria Plzen by the same scoreline.Ronaldo stole the attention for Madrid, while two-time Italian champion Juventus came from behind to draw 1-1 at Copenhagen in the other Group B match.
Wayne Rooney proved he is back to his best following a summer of upheaval as he scored twice to help Manchester United to a 4-2 victory over Bayer leverkusen and Shakhtar Donetsk won 2-0 at Real Sociedad.
In Group C, Paris Saint-Germain crushed Olympiakos 4-1 and Benfica beat Anderlecht 2-0.
Bayern, which appointed Pep Guardiola as coach after claiming an unprecedented treble last season, was rarely troubled by the Russian league leader. Alaba gave the German champions an early lead with a free kick into the left side of the goal after being fouled on the edge of the penalty area. Mandzukic, who had earlier hit the post, headed home Robben’s in-swinging free kick to double Bayern’s advantage in the 41st minute.
Robben sealed the result in the 68th, blasting home Alaba’s ball over the defense.Bayern is attempting to become the first club since 1990 to defend the European Cup.
Manchester City matched Bayern thanks to second-half goals from Edin Dzeko, Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero.
Real Madrid is bidding for a first Champions league trophy since 2002, and it sent out a warning sign to its rivals with a resounding victory in Turkey. “The match was good and the result fantastic,” coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “After Isco’s goal the match became simpler. We defended well and when Benzema and Cristian Ronaldo have a good night on the counterattack, it’s easy, even though winning in this stadium is not easy.”
There was plenty of attention for Gareth Bale as he made his Champions league debut for Madrid in the second half. But it was Ronaldo — the player Bale usurped as the world’s most expensive footballer — who was the star of the night.
Francisco “Isco” Alarcon opened the scoring after 33 minutes and Karim Benzema went on to strike twice during a second half in which Ronaldo was unstoppable.
The former Manchester United player scored Madrid’s third in the 63rd and doubled his tally three minutes later. Ronaldo completed his hat trick in stoppage time, capping a brilliant night for him and his team by weaving past three Galatasaray defenders before smashing the ball into the back of the net.
It was Ronaldo’s second Champions league hat trick and a fitting way for him to celebrate signing a new contract with Madrid.
Juventus will have a hard time beating Madrid to top spot in the group and it got off to a difficult start in Denmark.
Antonio Conte’s side was stunned when Nicolai Jorgensen fired Copenhagen in front in the 14th minute, beating Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon from close range after Pierre Bengtsson’s free kick.
Fabio Quagliarella leveled nine minutes after halftime.Manchester United manager Moyes has limited experience in the competition, having lost both qualifying matches back in 2005 when in charge of Everton.
Rooney, still wearing a thick, black headband to cover a deep gash to his forehead sustained in a training ground collision, opened the scoring in the 22nd minute. Simon Rolfes equalized against the run of play for leverkusen in the 54th but Robin van Persie restored United’s lead five minutes later.
Rooney then scored his 200th goal for United in all competitions before setting up Valencia following a quick counterattack for the winger to fizz a low shot in at the near post. “I’ve concentrated on working hard to get my head down, to get myself fit and ready for the season,” Rooney said. “I’m delighted with the way I’ve come back and delighted I’m back playing and scoring goals. It’s great the reception I get here and hopefully I can repay (the fans) with performances and goals like tonight.”
Omer Toprak poked in a close-range consolation goal for leverkusen two minutes from time.Alex Teixeira struck twice in the second half to give Shakhtar Donetsk a 2-0 victory over Real Sociedad in Group A.
In Greece, Edinson Cavani opened the scoring for PSG in the 19th minute but Vladimir Weiss leveled six minutes later, weaving past three defenders for an impressive solo effort.
However, Thiago Motta headed in two second-half goals and Marquinios completed the scoring in the 86th. Zlatan Ibrahimovic missed a late penalty for the French champions.Filip Djuricic and luisao scored goals in the first half-hour to help Benfica to victory.
Man C makes winning start
PlZEN: Edin Dzeko, Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero struck early in the second half to steer Manchester City to a convincing 3-0 victory over Viktoria Plzen in the Champions league on Tuesday.
City secured victory in the Group D encounter with some clinical finishing in a 13-minute period after halftime that indicated Manuel Pellegrini’s lineup has put a mixed start to the Premier league behind and is ready for the Manchester derby on the weekend.
Three minutes into second half, Aguero left his marker behind and provided an inviting cross for Dzeko to steer past goalkeeper Matus Kozacik.
Toure doubled the lead five minutes later with a perfectly-struck curling shot from 20 meters to the top left corner. And five minutes after that, Samir Nasri provided the pass for Aguero to beat the Plzen ‘keeper from close range.
“It’s the perfect start,” Dzeko said. “The last two years we didn’t do that in the first game and now we did. Especially coming away from home, we know it’s always difficult to play away in the Champions league because every team is very strong and Plzen showed in the first half how they can play football.”
City has crashed out in the Champions league group stages in the last two seasons and is desperate for improvement under new coach Pellegrini. Central defender Vincent Kompany returned from groin injury sustained in the first Premier league match and recently recruited Brazililian midfielder Fernandinho was in the starting lineup.
After 0-0 draw at Stoke City in the Premier league on the weekend, Pellegrini opted to start with Aguero and Dzeko up front and the change paid off. Aguero was sharp in attack. In the best first-half chance, he fired a low shot that bounced off the post in the 26th minute and Kozacik saved the ensuing attempt by Aleksandar Kolarov.
That came after new signing Jesus Navas tested Kozacik with a fierce strike from the edge of the area seven minutes into the match and Toure headed just over the bar from the resulting corner kick. In the 23rd, Dzeko wasted a clear scoring chance. Nasri started a neat move, releasing Kolarov on the left who squared for Dzeko but Kozacik was ready to avert his close range header.
Plzen was able to threaten on occasional counter attacks, with City goalkeeper Joe Hart having to punch clean a dangerous free kick by Pavel Horvath.