Champions League: Van Dijk scores late to win – Simeone sees red

Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain and the losing finalists Inter Milan started the Champions League season with comfortable victories. Liverpool FC won late and spectacularly, but Florian Wirtz was once again unable to make a significant impact for the Reds.

109 days after the Champions League triumph in Munich, PSG won convincingly 4-0 (2-0) against former Europa League winners Atalanta Bergamo, while Inter also had no major problems in their 2-0 (1-0) win at Ajax Amsterdam.

LFC won 3-2 (2-1) against Atlético Madrid in a heated rollercoaster game. Guest coach Diego Simeone got into an argument with spectators, apparently cursing, gesticulating wildly and ultimately receiving a red card (90.+4).

The French record champions took the lead against Bergamo in the third minute through defensive leader Marquinhos, and Chwitscha Kwarazchelia added another (39'). Bradley Barcola missed a chance from the penalty spot to extend the halftime lead (44'), but Nuno Mendes finally made it 3-0 (51'). Goncalo Ramos sealed the final score (90+1'). PSG coach Luis Enrique watched the first half from the press box, returning to the bench after the break. He had previously done this in Ligue 1.

On team manager Arne Slot's 47th birthday, Liverpool led 2-0 after just six minutes thanks to goals from Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah – their earliest goal ever in the Champions League . Atlético, however, were far from beaten, opening up the game and equalising on the debut of Liverpool's 150 million signing Alexander Isak through a brace from Marcos Llorente (45th + 3rd, 81st). International player Wirtz was substituted after 74 minutes, and defensive leader Virgil van Dijk scored the winner (90th + 2nd), after which Simeone apparently had a dispute with a spectator and was shown the red card. After the match, Simeone said he had been insulted.

Inter, beaten 5-0 by PSG in the Champions League final on May 31, won at Ajax thanks to a brace from former Mönchengladbach player Marcus Thuram (42nd, 47th). In the early games on Wednesday evening, two Champions League newcomers performed highly respectably: Cypriot champions FC Paphos drew 0-0 with record Greek champions Olympiacos Piraeus, with Bruno Felipe being sent off in the 26th minute against FC Bayern's second opponent in the league phase (September 30). FK Bodö/Glimt of Norway drew 2-2 (0-1) at Slavia Prague.