Day 1 of UEFA Champions League Gameweek 3 had plenty in store for us. In the early kick-offs, AS Monaco thrashed Crvena Zvezda 5-1 at home while seven-time champions AC Milan registered their first victory in the competition this season. 

In the late kick-offs, Spanish club Girona secured their first-ever UCL victory against Slovan Bratislava while both VfB Stuttgart and Arsenal came away with narrow one-nil victories. Defending champions Real Madrid produced one of the great comebacks victories in recent memory. Portuguese club Sporting and English club Aston Villa maintain their unbeaten run while Paris Saint-Germain were held to a 1-1 draw at home by PSV Eindhoven. 

In this article, we take a look at the all the action from Day 1 of Gameweek 3 in the UEFA Champions League phase. 

AS Monaco 5-1 Crvena Zvezda 

French club AS Monaco turned on the screws in the second half to register an emphatic 5-1 victory over Crvena Zvezda on Tuesday during the third matchday of the UEFA Champions League.

Monaco, who played the first half at a slower tempo, stepped up their game in the second period to overpower Crvena Zvezda. Wilfried Singo, Maghnes Akliouche, Takumi Minamino, and Breel Embolo were all on the scoresheet for Monaco and have an exceptional game.

Still unbeaten after 11 matches in all competitions this season, ASM currently sits second in the Champions League points table with 7 points. Crvena Zvezda are yet to open their account this season and sit second from last on -9 goal difference.  

AC Milan 3-1 Club Brugge 

AC Milan finally got off the mark in the Champions League with a 3-1 victory against Club Brugge, with Tijjani Reijnders scoring a match-winning brace.

Milan took the lead through rather strange circumstances when Christian Pulisic fired in a corner that beat everyone at the near post and nestled in. Then, when Raphael Onyedika saw red for a studs-up challenge, it looked like the home side were well in control.

Ten-man Brugge got themselves level through Sabbe to stun the San Siro crowd, but then two substitutes – Noah Okafor and Samuel Chukwueze – each set up Tijjani Reijnders as the Rossoneri scored twice in quick succession to earn the victory.

Girona 2-0 Slovan Bratislava 

After back-to-back defeats in their first two Champions League games, Girona finally had their first win in the competition. Miguel Gutierrez and Juanpe scored in either half to earn Girona a 2-0 victory over Slovan Bratislava, and a first-ever win in the Champions League. 

Gutierrez and Arnaut Danjuma combined brilliantly throughout on the left wing, and it was the latter’s run to the byline and pull-back that set up the wing-back to break the deadlock for the Spaniards with a first-time finish three minutes before half-time.

It took a moment of brilliance from Juanpe in the 73rd minute to make it 2-0, with his direct free-kick glancing off one of the players in the wall before flying into the net. Cristhian Stuani also had his penalty saved by Dominic Takac in the 88th minute, while Paulo Gazzaniga was called into late action to preserve his clean sheet by keeping out Tigran Barseghyan’s curling effort.

SK Sturm Graz 0-2 Sporting 

Nuno Santos and Viktor Gyökeres scored goals in either half as a dominant Sporting eased to a 2-0 away victory over Sturm Graz in their Champions League clash at the Woerthersee Stadium on Tuesday.

Sporting maintained their unbeaten start to the league phase, with seven points from their opening three games, but for the Austrians it was a third successive defeat with a trip to Borussia Dortmund next up on Nov. 5.

Sporting have won 11 of their last 12 games in all competitions, with the only blemish a 1-1 draw at PSV Eindhoven. They host Manchester City in their next Champions League fixture, also on Nov. 5.

Real Madrid 5-2 Borussia Dortmund

In a rematch of last-season’s final, Dortmund lit up the game with a two-goal blitz around the half-hour mark from Donyell Malen and Jamie Gittens to silence the Bernabeu crowd.

However, the champions were livelier after the break and broke Dortmund’s resistance with Antonio Rüdiger’s header on the hour before Vinícius Junior equalised with a close-range strike.

Lucas Vázquez put Real ahead in the 83rd with an unstoppable strike after a counter-attack and Vinicius, with two magnificent pieces of individual brilliance, wrapped up the win to leave his side level with Dortmund on six points from three games.

Aston Villa 2-0 Bologna 

Unai Emery’s Aston Villa won 2-0 against Italian side Bologna in their third Champions League match of 2024-25 on Tuesday night, making it three victories from three in the competition.

John McGinn opened the scoring in the 55th minute as he curled a free kick into the penalty area from near the touchline on right of the pitch, but his cross missed everyone in the box and instead bounced into the far corner.

Villa doubled their lead in the 64th minute thanks to Jhon Duran, who managed to evade his marker in the penalty area and flick on Morgan Rogers’s delivery across the face of goal and into the far corner.

The result leaves the host in first place with nine points in the league table of Europe’s premier competition. Meanwhile, Bologna remain on one point in 28th place, though they are only two points from a round of 16 playoff spot with five games left to play.

Juventus 0-1 VfB Stuttgart 

VfB Stuttgart claimed an impressive 1-0 win at Juventus in the Champions League on Tuesday thanks to El Bilal Touré’s stoppage-time strike as the hosts suffered their first loss this season.

The German side, who claimed their first Champions League victory, had been the more aggressive side throughout the game and got their reward in the 92nd minute when substitute Touré finally beat Juve’s back-up goalkeeper Mattia Perin, who despite the defeat was named player of the match.

Stuttgart had wasted a golden chance to take the lead four minutes from time when Perin saved Enzo Millot’s penalty while, the visitors also saw Deniz Undav’s effort disallowed early in the second half for handball by the Germany striker but ultimately managed to end a four-match winless run in all competitions. Juve stay on six points and Stuttgart have four.

Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 PSV Eindhoven 

Paris St Germain’s weaknesses on the biggest stage were once again exposed when they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League group phase on Tuesday.

The Ligue 1 leaders salvaged a point when Achraf Hakimi’s second-half strike cancelled out Noa Lang’s opener at the Parc des Princes, leaving Luis Enrique’s side on four points after three games.

Eredivisie leaders PSV, who made the most of PSG’s mediocrity in midfield, are still winless with two points. 

Arsenal 1-0 Shakhtar Donetsk

Arsenal secured their second successive home win in the Champions League league phase this season with a less than comfortable 1-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners needed a win after their defeat to Bournemouth last Saturday and their desire to score was evident throughout a dominant first half. 

However, it was Gabriel Martinelli who broke the deadlock with what proved to be the decisive strike. 

The Brazilian cut in from the left and struck a fine effort onto the post. The ball rebounded and hit Shakhtar goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk on the back before bobbling over the line.

In the second half Arsenal were awarded a penalty but Leandro Trossard had his effort stopped by Riznyk in some redemption for the keeper. Shakhtar then fought back well but it wasn’t to be. Arsenal keeper David Raya made a fine save late in the game to secure Arsenal’s third successive clean sheets in the competition.