AFCON 2025
It was a night of breathtaking football and emphatic statements across Europe as the UEFA Champions League delivered drama, goals and standout performances on Tuesday.
Paris Saint-Germain crushed Bayer Leverkusen in a 7-goal blitz, while Arsenal and Inter Milan also recorded commanding victories. Elsewhere, Manchester City, Newcastle United, Borussia Dortmund and PSV Eindhoven all claimed impressive wins to light up Matchday 3 of the group stage.
Here’s how all the action went down tonight:
1. Paris Saint‑Germain 7-2 Bayer Leverkusen
In a wild and high-scoring affair, PSG inflicted a 7-2 defeat on Leverkusen in Germany. Both sides ended the first half with 10 men — Leverkusen’s Robert Andrich was sent off for an elbow around the 32′ mark, and PSG’s Illia Zabarnyi conceded a penalty and was dismissed shortly afterwards.
Leverkusen did manage to convert the penalty through Aleix Garcia to equalise briefly, but PSG then sprinted away with the game, goals coming from multiple contributors including Desire Doué (two), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes, Ousmane Dembélé (on return) and Vitinha. Leverkusen’s second goal by Garcia (later) was scant consolation.
The result keeps PSG perfect in the group so far and casts serious doubt on Leverkusen’s domestic and European campaign.
2. Arsenal FC 4-0 Atlético Madrid
Arsenal delivered a polished, commanding performance to beat Atlético Madrid 4-0 at home. The first goal came via Gabriel and soon after Gabriel Martinelli added a second following an incisive move. Viktor Gyökeres broke his nine-game goal drought by scoring twice—once off a deflection and then from a set piece—to cap the win.
Arsenal remain unbeaten across competitions in nine matches and have nine points from three in the group. Atlético’s six-match unbeaten run is ended and they’ll need to regroup quickly.
3. Inter Milan 4-0 Union Saint‑Gilloise
Inter Milan travelled to Belgium and made short work of Union Saint-Gilloise, securing a comfortable 4-0 victory. The scoring opened via Denzel Dumfries, followed by a clinical finish from Lautaro Martínez before halftime.
A handball by Union’s Kevin Mac Allister later led to a VAR-awarded penalty, converted by Hakan Çalhanoğlu, and then the young Francesco Esposito found his first UCL goal from a cross. Safe, efficient and fairly dominant from Inter, who sit comfortably heading into the next fixtures.
4. Newcastle United 3-0 S.L. Benfica
At St James’ Park, Newcastle crushed Benfica 3-0 in a strong home display. Anthony Gordon opened the scoring, then substitutes boosted the margin.
Harvey Barnes struck twice — one goal assisted by an extraordinary 68-yard kick from goalkeeper Nick Pope, making him only the second English keeper to record a UCL assist. Benfica’s European struggles deepen as they slip further behind in their group.
5. Manchester City 2-0 Villarreal
Manchester City recorded a professional and efficient 2-0 away victory at Villarreal. Erling Haaland continued his rich vein of form by scoring, and Bernardo Silva added the second via a header from a cross. City controlled large portions of the match, showing depth and tactical flexibility, while Villarreal were unable to resist consistently. The win puts City in a strong position in their group.
6. PSV Eindhoven 6-2 Napoli
PSV overwhelmed Napoli in a goal-fest, netting six times in a thrilling 6-2 win. PSV’s attacking front was sharp throughout, while Napoli’s defensive lapses proved costly. For their part, Napoli tried to rally at points but never truly threatened to turn the tide. A convincing statement from the Dutch side in Europe.
7. Borussia Dortmund 4-2 FC København
Borussia Dortmund edged a high-scoring affair against FC København, winning 4-2. Dortmund’s attacking firepower paid dividends, and despite some resistance from the Danish side, the German side showed sufficient quality to take the points with Felix Nmecha scoring a brace.
