Tuesday night in the UEFA Champions League was nothing short of extraordinary, delivering a staggering 43 goals across the continent in a display of attacking football rarely witnessed on the European stage.
Goals flew in as holders Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), alongside European giants Inter Milan and Arsenal, all secured commanding wins to maintain a perfect nine points at the top of their respective groups.
Seven for PSG in a chaotic thriller
Defending champions PSG were in devastating form, smashing Bayer Leverkusen 7-2 in a match that was as chaotic as it was high-scoring.
The French champions were 4-1 up at halftime in a manic first period that saw both sides reduced to ten men after red cards for Leverkusen’s Robert Andrich and PSG’s Illia Zabarnyi.
The attacking quality was undeniable, with Désiré Doué bagging a brace, and goals from Pacho, Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes, and Vitinha. Crucially, Ousmane Dembélé, the recently crowned Ballon d’Or winner, made a spectacular return from injury by coming off the bench to score PSG’s sixth, cementing their status as the team to beat.
Fermín López hat-trick powers Barça to six
At the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium, Barcelona bounced back from a recent defeat with a 6-1 demolition of Olympiacos. The star of the show was young Spanish winger Fermín López, who bagged his first-ever career hat-trick for the club, becoming the first Spaniard in 39 years to score a UCL treble for the Blaugrana.
López’s clinical finishing, combined with a Marcus Rashford double and a penalty from Lamine Yamal, demonstrated Barça’s potent attack, putting them back on track with six points.
Gunners fire four past Atlético Madrid
In a major statement victory at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal continued their perfect start by sweeping aside a usually resolute Atlético Madrid 4-0.
The goals came fast and furious in the second half. Gabriel Magalhães opened the scoring by heading in a Declan Rice free-kick, before Gabriel Martinelli curled in a stunning effort.
Summer signing Viktor Gyökeres then added extra gloss to the scoreline with a quick-fire double in a devastating 13-minute spell, silencing any critics with a true performance of dominance.
Elsewhere on goal-fest Tuesday:
- Inter Milan continued their 100% record, with a clinical 4-0 win at Union SG, featuring goals from Dumfries, Martínez, Çalhanoğlu, and Esposito.
- PSV Eindhoven put on a six-goal show of their own, defeating Napoli 6-2 to kickstart their campaign.
- Newcastle United made it two consecutive wins in the competition, dispatching Benfica 3-0 at St James’ Park with a brace from substitute Harvey Barnes.
- Borussia Dortmund maintained their unbeaten run, overcoming FC Copenhagen 4-2 with a double from Felix Nmecha.
With 43 goals recorded on the night, the Champions League has unequivocally confirmed its return as the pinnacle of global football, setting a blistering pace that promises more thrills for Kenyan viewers in the weeks to come.
