In a notable return to top-level European soccer, Sparta Prague and Bologna made headlines on Wednesday by holding their own against established Champions League sides.
Sparta Prague marked their first appearance in the Champions League group stage in 19 years with a decisive 3-0 victory over Salzburg. They took the lead within two minutes, with Finland’s Kaan Kairinen scoring in just 108 seconds. Nigerian forward Victor Olatunji added a second goal in the 42nd minute, and Albania’s Qazim Laçi scored the third in the 58th minute.
This result marked a challenging start for Salzburg’s new coach, Pep Lijnders, who previously served as an assistant to Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool. Salzburg had to navigate through two qualifying rounds in August after losing their domestic title to Sturm Graz, whereas Sparta Prague advanced through three qualifying rounds and had already played six matches in the competition.
Meanwhile, Bologna, making their third Champions League appearance and their first in 60 years, managed to secure a 0-0 draw against Shakhtar Donetsk. Bologna’s goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski made a crucial save in the fourth minute, stopping a penalty kick from Shakhtar’s Heorhiy Sudakov. Despite Bologna’s 18 attempts on goal, Shakhtar’s Dmytro Riznyk made several key saves to keep the match scoreless.
The matches on Wednesday were part of the new Champions League format, which replaces the traditional group stage. Now, 36 teams play against eight different opponents until January, with a single league table determining which teams advance to the knockout phase.
Later in the evening, Manchester City hosted Inter Milan in a repeat of the 2023 final, which saw Manchester City claim victory over Inter Milan.
