Paris: Holders Liverpool began their defence of the Champions League trophy with a defeat at the hands of Napoli on Tuesday, while one missed spot-kick condemned Chelsea to defeat against Valencia and another came to Barcelona’s rescue.
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Liverpool survived a 1-0 defeat in Naples in the group stage last season to go on and win their sixth European Cup, and this time a 2-0 reverse at the San Paolo made them the first reigning champions to lose their opening game in the competition since 1994.
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Both sides had chances but the Group E clash was edging towards a goalless conclusion until a late penalty award for the hosts. Barely 10 minutes remained when Jose Callejon went down under an Andy Robertson challenge and German referee Felix Brych pointed to the spot.
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Dries Mertens beat Adrian from 12 yards and substitute Fernando Llorente — who played for Tottenham Hotspur against Liverpool in last season’s final — then took advantage of a rare defensive lapse by Virgil van Dijk to make it 2-0 in stoppage time.
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Hat-trick hero Haaland
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Liverpool must now bounce back in two weeks when they host Austrian champions Salzburg, who made a stunning return to the group stage as teenage forward Erling Braut Haaland netted a hat-trick in a 6-2 demolition of Genk.
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Salzburg had fallen in the qualifying rounds in each of the last seven campaigns but finally progressed this season to the group stage for the first time since 1994-95.
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Haaland, the teenage English-born Norwegian striker whose father Alf-Inge played for Manchester City, gave Salzburg a second-minute lead and netted twice more before half-time.
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Aged just 19 years and 58 days, Haaland is the third-youngest player to score a Champions League hat-trick behind Wayne Rooney and Raul, according to sports statisticians Opta.
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The South Korean Hwang hee-Chan and Dominik Szoboszlai also scored before the break for Salzburg, while captain Andreas Ulmer completed the rout in the second half.
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Jhon Lucumi and Tanzanian striker Mbwana Samatta were on target for the Belgian champions.
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Last season’s Europa League winners Chelsea ensured it was two defeats out of two on the night for English sides as they went down 1-0 at home to Valencia.
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The Spaniards scored in the 74th minute when a Dani Parejo free-kick was converted by Rodrigo Moreno. Chelsea were then given a chance to rescue a draw when Daniel Wass was penalised for handball in the box, but Ross Barkley’s 87th-minute penalty hit the bar on its way over.
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Ajax impress
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Also in Group H, last season’s semi-finalists Ajax claimed an impressive 3-0 home win over Lille with two of their newest signings among the goals.
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Quincy Promes headed the Dutch champions in front and the Mexican Edson Alvarez doubled their lead early in the second half before Nicolas Tagliafico sealed the win.
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After a patchy start to the season, Barcelona will be relieved to escape from their trip to Borussia Dortmund with a 0-0 draw as Lionel Messi returned from injury as a second-half substitute.
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The home side will feel they should have won, but Marco Reus had a second-half penalty saved before Julian Brandt hit the bar late on.
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Those two appear well placed already to progress from Group F after Inter Milan needed a stoppage-time Nicolo Barella goal to rescue a 1-1 draw against rank outsiders Slavia Prague earlier.
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Nigerian forward Peter Olayinka put Slavia ahead in the 63rd minute, only for Barella to level in the second minute of stoppage time after a Stefano Sensi free-kick hit the bar.
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In Group G, RB Leipzig won 2-1 at Benfica with Timo Werner bagging a brace before Haris Seferovic pulled one back for the hosts.
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Earlier, Memphis Depay’s penalty gave Lyon a 1-1 draw at home to Zenit Saint-Petersburg after Iranian striker Sardar Azmoun had opened the scoring.
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Wednesday’s standout matches include Paris Saint-Germain against Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid against Juventus.
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