IT was a record scoring night in the UEFA Champions League tonight, with five of the seven late fixtures producing at least four goals each, and two ending 6-2 and 7-2.
In London, Arsenal scored four goals in 14 minutes as they thrashed Atletico Madrid 4-0 to continue their perfect start to the league phase of the competition.
The Gunners started the game quickly and Eberechi Eze’s deflected shot hit the bar in the first half, while Atletico’s Julian Alvarez nearly caught out David Raya with a long-range effort while the goalkeeper was stranded outside his area.
The rest of the first half was cagey and that carried on into the second 45 minutes initially, with supporters wondering where the opening would come from.
Centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes answered that question when he headed in Declan Rice’s excellent free-kick in the 57th minute.
That started a devastating spell for Arsenal as the home side made their usually solid opponents suffer.
Gabriel Martinelli scored with a curled shot after a driving run from Myles Lewis-Skelly, before striker Viktor Gyokeres bundled in his first Arsenal goal for eight matches.
The Sweden international then got his second of the night three minutes later when he converted Gabriel’s knockdown from another dangerous Arsenal corner.
The result means Arsenal have won their opening three games of the competition and have still yet to concede a goal.
In Germany, holders Paris Saint-Germain scored three times in seven minutes at the end of a rollercoaster first half on the way to crushing hosts Bayer Leverkusen 7-2, after both teams played with 10 men for almost an hour.
Desire Doue scored twice for the French side who earned a club record-equalling sixth consecutive win in the Champions League, including last season, and top the league phase table after three matches with a maximum nine points.
PSG, whose Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele scored in a fairytale comeback from injury, were unstoppable in the first half and snapped Leverkusen’s nine-match unbeaten run at home against European opponents.
The visitors took a seventh-minute lead through Willian Pacho’s far-post header.
Leverkusen, who found themselves on the back foot from the start, had the chance to level with Alejandro Grimaldo’s 25th-minute penalty but the Spaniard hit ....
In Spain, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland extended his remarkable scoring streak to 12 straight matches as his side recorded a comfortable 2-0 victory at Villarreal.
Bernardo Silva also got on the scoresheet during a dominant display by the visitors at La Ceramica that highlighted City’s depth and efficiency, with Haaland continuing to lead the line in imperious form.
City came close to an early breakthrough seconds after kick-off when Jeremy Doku’s low shot was superbly saved by Villarreal goalkeeper Luiz Junior.
Pep Guardiola’s City side took the lead in the 17th minute, when Rico Lewis delivered a precise pass into the box for Haaland to fire home a first-time effort from the edge of the six-yard box.
The strike extended Haaland’s scoring streak to 12 consecutive matches and took his Champions League tally to four this season.
Only Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane (19 goals) has scored more for a big-five league European side this term, with Haaland level on 15 goals with Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe.
Francesco Esposito made up for an earlier horror miss to score his first Champions League goal as Inter Milan thumped hosts Union Saint-Gilloise 4-0 in Brussels to make it three wins from three in the competition this season.
Inter are in second place in the table with nine points from their three games, behind PSG on goal difference, while it is back-to-back 4-0 losses for Union, who have three points from their three matches.
Denzel Dumfries fired in the first goal for Inter from close range after he was left unmarked in the box, before the prolific Lautaro Martinez added a second just before half-time as he swept the ball into the top corner from 15 yards.
Inter were awarded a penalty after a VAR review when Kevin Mac Allister, brother of Liverpool midfielder Alexis, handled the ball in the box and Hakan Calhanoglu easily slotted the spot-kick into the bottom-left corner.
In the Netherlands, PSV Eindhoven’s Dennis Man scored twice as the home side handed Napoli a 6-2 thrashing on Tuesday after coming from a goal down to get their first win in this season’s Champions League.
Scott McTominay put the Italians ahead in the 31st minute but the Dutch champions swept into a 2-1 lead within seven minutes as Alessandro Buongiorno put the ball into his own net and then Ismael Saibari scored on the counter-attack.
In England, Harvey Barnes and Anthony Gordon fired Newcastle United to an emphatic 3-0 victory against Jose Mourinho’s Benfica.
The unmarked Gordon opened the scoring in the first half as he calmly sidefooted the ball past Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin at the back post following Jacob Murphy’s ball across.
It was Gordon’s fourth goal in just three games in the competition and gave Newcastle the platform to push for another after the break.
Barnes went on to double his side’s lead after goalkeeper Nick Pope launched an almighty throw down the right.
Benfica defender Antonio Silva misjudged it and Barnes raced through before finishing in-off the upright.
There was still time for Barnes to add a third late on after Gordon set up his team-mate, who put the ball through Trubin’s legs.
Benfica were left to rue what might have been after the visitors twice came close to breaking the deadlock.
A strong hand from Pope denied Dodi Lukebakio at his near post before the former Watford forward struck the upright a few minutes later with a whipped effort from outside the box.
Gordon and Barnes, however, took their chances as Newcastle recorded back-to-back victories in the Champions League for the first time since 2003.
With agency reports
RESULTS
Barcelona 6-1 Olympiacos
Kairat Almaty 0-0 Pafos
Arsenal 4-0 Atletico Madrid
Leverkusen 2-7 PSG
FC Copenhagen 2-4 Borussia Dortmund
Newcastle 3-0 Benfica
PSV 6-2 Napoli
Union Saint Galloise 0-4 Inter Milan
Villarreal 0-2 Manchester City