UCL: Thrills Aplenty on the Champions League's Opening Night  | OneFootball

The UEFA Champions League returned on September 16th, much to the delight of football fans across Europe. Paris Saint-Germain head into the new campaign as the reigning champions after lifting the famous 'Big-Eared' trophy in dominant fashion last term, thumping Inter Milan 5-0 in the Allianz Arena final in record-breaking fashion. Ever since that fateful night in Munich, anticipation for the 2025/26 season has been at a fever pitch, and not just in Europe.

Half a world away, alternative media sources such as Australian online casinos have also been gearing up for the Champions League's return, channeling the likes of Tim Cahill and Mark Viduka in rolling out a slew of new football-themed slot games.

Outlets such as the popular Joe Fortune Australia have brought an impressive offering to their legion of players, with titles such as Hat Trick Hero and Zombie FC keeping fans entertained while the UCL took its annual hiatus.

The games have been praised not just for their excitement but also for their accessibility, as they can be enjoyed around the clock, provided one has a stable internet connection and a relatively modern device. Joe Fortune has a lot to offer visitors looking to keep the sport alive at all hours.

But throughout the Champions League's offseason, neither Aussie nor European fans could have predicted what they would be in store for upon the first night of the marquee tournament’s return to action. Here are the biggest talking points.

Underdogs Thrive Away From Home

The two early games on the opening night saw Arsenal head to Bilbao looking to build on their semifinal berth last term, while debutants Union Saint-Gilloise headed to Champions League regulars PSV Eindhoven. The Gunners would ultimately begin in perfect fashion, with second-half goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard securing a 2-0 victory in San Mames. But it was the reigning Belgian champions that stole the show.

Union headed across the border to the Netherlands to make their Champions League bow, and they did so as huge underdogs. However, things got off to the perfect start when striker Promise David gave the visitors a ninth-minute lead from the penalty spot.

Things got even better shortly before the break as Anouar Ait El Hadj doubled his side's advantage. Deep into the second half, captain Kevin Mac Allister put his side in dreamland when he added a third, and while the hosts would pull one back through Ruben van Bommel, the Belgian champions headed back home with a famous 3-1 victory after a dream Champions League debut.

The biggest shocker, however, came in Portugal. Giants Benfica hosted Azerbaijani minnows Qarabag at the Stadium of Light, and everything was going according to plan when early goals from Enzo Barrenechea and Vangelis Pavlidis secured a 2-0 lead. With the visitors pushed out to 50/1 with some bookmakers, all hell would break loose.

Qarabag would pull a goal back just before halftime through Leandro Andrade, before Camilo Duran shockingly leveled things up three minutes after the break.

Then, with just four minutes remaining, Oleksiy Kashchuk lashed home to secure a stunning upset that would ultimately cost Benfica boss Bruno Lage his job. Now, there are rumors that a certain Jose Mourinho could well be on his way back home to take over, but this night belonged to Qarabag.

Heavyweights Come Back From the Dead

Real Madrid head into every Champions League campaign as a contender to go all the way, and this season is no different. They joined the likes of holders PSG and English champions Liverpool at the top of the betting charts, but they had to survive a huge scare in their tournament opener at home to French outfit Marseille.

New signing Trent Alexander-Arnold was subbed off after just four minutes with a suspected pulled hamstring, and if that wasn't bad enough, the visitors would take the lead at the Bernabeu just minutes later through Timothy Weah.

Los Blancos managed to find an equalizer on the half-hour mark as Kylian Mbappe slotted home from the penalty spot, but in the second half, more drama was to come.

Real captain and the man who was subbed on for the aforementioned Trent, namely Dani Carvajal, was sent off for a "headbutt" on Marseille goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli. Still, with their backs against the wall, the 15-time champions found a way to win, with Mbappe putting away a second spot kick nine minutes from full time after a late handball.

Juventus also had a night to remember. They hosted Borussia Dortmund in a wild firefight in Turin. The game was somewhat of a drab affair in the first half, and the teams headed into the interval at a score of 0-0. However, the contest burst into life in the second stanza, and the German visitors led by four goals to two when the contest headed into injury time. But the Bianconeri certainly weren't dead or buried.

In the 94th minute, Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic pulled the Italian side to within one. Then, barely 90 seconds later, defender Lloyd Kelly netted an unlikely equalizer, with the Englishman netting his second goal in three days after also scoring in the 4-3 victory against Inter Milan in Serie A the weekend prior. How important the equalizing goal will be at the end of the league phase remains to be seen.