Champions League night saw Juventus and Dortmund in a 4-4 draw, Qarabag stunned Benfica 3-2 after falling behind, and Union Saint-Gilloise made a memorable debut with a 3-1 victory over PSV. Arsenal, Tottenham, and Real Madrid also secured victories in other matches.
The Champions League roared back into action with a night of unforgettable drama, headlined by a pulsating 4-4 draw between Juventus and Borussia Dortmund. In a match that exploded in the second half, a late, late show from Juventus saw them snatch a point from the jaws of defeat. Elsewhere, Qarabag produced a stunning comeback against Benfica, and Union Saint-Gilloise marked their debut with a memorable win at PSV.
The Allianz Stadium in Turin was the stage for an epic encounter. The first half was a cagey affair, with both sides feeling each other out. But the second half? It was a goal-fest of the highest order. Borussia Dortmund struck first, but Juventus responded, setting the tone for a breathless 45 minutes.
Trailing 4-2 as the clock ticked towards stoppage time, it looked like Juventus were heading for defeat. But football is a game of glorious unpredictability. First, Dusan Vlahovic, who was the center of attraction, fired home to reduce the deficit. Then, with virtually the last attack of the game, Lloyd Kelly headed in a dramatic equalizer. The stadium erupted, and Juventus had somehow salvaged a point.
Karim Adeyemi's stunning strike broke the deadlock early in the second half, rifling home from outside the box. Kenan Yildiz then responded for Juventus. He collected the ball on the edge of the area, steadied himself and bent a superb shot into the far corner to ignite the Juventus fans. Dortmund restored the advantage within two minutes as Felix Nmecha's first-time finish found the net.
The scoring was not over yet as Dusan Vlahovic found the net once again and Yan Couto's low strike squirmed between Michele Di Gregorio and a post to put Dortmund back in front. The visitors were awarded a penalty four minutes from time, after Kelly was penalised for handball with Ramy Bensebaini converting from the spot. Vlahovic then struck again from a well-placed cross before turning provider for Kelly, who headed in the equaliser to cap a second half to remember.
In Lisbon, Benfica imploded against Qarabag. Leading 2-0 early on, they succumbed to a spirited comeback from the Azerbaijani side. Oleksiy Kashchuk's late goal sealed a memorable 3-2 victory for Qarabag, who demonstrated resilience and determination to turn the game on its head. The comeback was complete, leaving the home fans in disbelief.
Enzo Barrenechea put the hosts ahead in the sixth minute with a glancing header from a corner and Vangelis Pavlidis shot on the turn to double the lead 10 minutes later. Leandro Andrade smashed a first-time shot past Anatoliy Trubin. Qarabag came close to drawing level when Kady Borges hit the post and Trubin made an excellent save from Marko Jankovic’s follow-up effort.
Union Saint-Gilloise made history with a 3-1 victory over PSV Eindhoven. Playing in their first-ever Champions League league phase match, the Belgian side produced a composed and clinical performance to stun their Dutch opponents. Goals from Promise David, Anouar Ait El Hadj and Kevin Mac Allister sealed the win, marking a memorable night for the club and their fans.
Promise David converted an early penalty and Anouar Ait El Hadj ran half the length of the pitch to add a second before the interval. The defender Kevin Mac Allister bundled home the third 10 minutes from time, forcing the ball over the line with his knees from a corner, to complete a shock result. Ruben van Bommel scored a consolation goal for PSV, but it was scant consolation on a night where they were outplayed.
In other matches, Arsenal secured a 2-0 victory at Athletic Bilbao, Tottenham edged out Villarreal 1-0, and Real Madrid fought back to defeat Marseille 2-1, adding further excitement to the Champions League campaign.