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Arsenal and Real win Champions League openers, Juve snatch draw
Gulf Today
|September 18, 2025
Arsenal won 2-0 away to Athletic Bilbao as the league phase of this season's Champions League kicked off on Tuesday, with two Kylian Mbappe penalties giving Real Madrid a narrow win over Marseille while Juventus and Borussia Dortmund drew an eight-goal thriller.
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Tottenham Hotspur also won on the tournament’s opening night which saw outsiders Union Saint-Gilloise and Qarabag claim first ever victories in the Champions League proper.
Arsenal are eager to make a big impression again in Europe's elite club competition, following their defeat by eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals last season.
They got off to an ideal start in the Basque Country, with Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard scoring late goals to settle the game.
The Brazilian had only just come on when he ran through to open the scoring in the 72nd minute at San Mames. Arsenal then went on to seal the victory late on as Trossard -- another substitute - scored with the aid of a deflection.
"We started to grow throughout the game. In the second half we were more fluent, dominant, and the finishers made the impact for us to win the game,” said Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta.
HALF CENTURY FOR MBAPPE: Real Madrid came from behind to beat Marseille 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu, despite playing the closing stages of the game down to 10 men.
This story is from the September 18, 2025 edition of Gulf Today.
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