Champions League: Liverpool beat AC Milan, Americans make history at the start of the season

Doug McIntyre

Football journalist

The expanded, redesigned UEFA Champions League made its highly anticipated debut on Tuesday with six first-round matches across Europe – including a top-of-the-table clash between English titans Liverpool and seven-time champions AC Milan in Italy.

Here are three quick takeaways.

Real Madrid starts title defence with victory

Three months after defeating Borussia Dortmund to win a record 15th European Cup, Real Madrid started the 2024/25 season victoriously. The defending champions scored a second-half goal through summer signing and French superstar Kylian Mbappé, who was making his first Champions League appearance for the Madridistas. The Royal.

And although they later lost it to valiant Bundesliga side Stuttgart in the Spanish capital, centre-back Antonio Rüdiger came to the rescue and scored the winning goal to ensure Real did not have to settle for a disappointing point at the Estadio Bernabeu. With the outcome already in the balance, teenage star Endrick made it 3-1 in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time.

The result doesn’t change the fact that this was not a convincing performance from Carlo Ancelotti’s side. The Germans were their equal both statistically – Stuttgart had the majority of possession and had more shots on goal than the more decorated hosts – and to the naked eye. But winning despite not playing particularly well is what great teams do. And when it comes to the world’s most prestigious club competition, no team is better. It may be a brand new season, but it was the same story for Real Madrid when the curtain went up on opening night.

Liverpool survive early Christian Pulisic strike to beat AC Milan

US captain Christian Pulisic needed less than three minutes to find the net and give the Rossineri a lead over the visiting Reds.

The celebrations at San Siro were short-lived, however. Liverpool responded to the early deficit, equalising through centre-back Ibrahima Konaté and taking the lead before the end of the first half through Konaté’s partner Virgil van Dijk.

While the hosts pushed forward more strongly in the second half, the English club held firm and scored a game-deciding third goal through playmaker Dominik Szoboszlai. This saw them start the new European season in style at the home stadium of the seven-time continental champions.

Weston McKennie is one of five Americans who made history

Tuesday’s matinee between Juventus and Dutch club PSV Eindhoven was almost one-stop shopping for new US national team coach Mauricio Pochettino. Key USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie made his first start of the season for Juve and celebrated by scoring his side’s second goal in the hosts’ 3-1 win in Turin.

Fellow Americans Malik Tillman and Richie Ledezma – who was converted to right-back by PSV coach Peter Bosz – started for the visitors, who brought Ricardo Pepi off the bench. Meanwhile, Tim Weah came on as a substitute for Juventus.

It is the first time that five US players have played in the same Champions League match; the previous record was three.

Juve travels to German club RB Leipzig on October 2 for the second of eight league games. PSV hosts Sporting Lisbon on October 1.

Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports. A former editor at ESPN and Yahoo Sports, he has covered the U.S. men’s and women’s national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ByDougMcIntyre.