Qarabag manages a comeback away at Benfica

The excitement of the 2025-2026 UEFA Champions League league phase is underway with the first week of matches. Tottenham, which qualified for the Champions League by winning the UEFA Europa League, faced Villarreal in the first week.

The English side took a 1-0 lead in the 4th minute and left the pitch with that result. Benfica, which reached the league phase by eliminating Fenerbahçe, hosted the Azerbaijani team Qarabag.

The Portuguese representative took a 2-0 lead in 16 minutes. Qarabag reduced the deficit to 1 in the 30th minute and found the equalizer with Camilo Duran in the 48th minute. As the match entered its final moments, Qarabag found the winning goal through Kashchuk. After the final whistle, Qarabag secured a historic victory in Portugal and started the Champions League with 3 points.

REAL MADRID WINS WITH MBAPPE

Spanish giants Real Madrid hosted French side Marseille in the first week. National player Arda Güler started this challenging match in the starting 11. In the 22nd minute, after the ball was lost in midfield while transitioning from defense, Timothy Weah put his team 1-0 ahead away from home in a fast-developing attack. Increasing their attacks after the goal, Real Madrid won a penalty after Rodrygo was brought down in the penalty area.

Kylian Mbappe sent the ball into the net in the 28th minute and leveled the score. In the match, which ended with this result in the first half, Dani Carvajal received a red card in the 72nd minute. The Spanish footballer, who entered the game in the 5th minute following Trent Alexander-Arnold's injury, was sent off after referee Irfan Peljto reviewed the incident on the VAR monitor due to his off-the-ball challenge on an opponent. With the Whites down to 10 men in defense, Raul replaced Arda Güler in the 73rd minute.

In the 79th minute of the match, referee Peljto pointed to the penalty spot once again for a handball during a challenge between Vinicius Junior and his opponent in the penalty area. Taking the penalty kick, Mbappe scored the goal that put Real Madrid ahead. There were no more goals in the remaining minutes, and Xabi Alonso's students left the pitch with 3 points.

News Source: İHA