A seemingly lifeless first half gave way to an electrifying second as Juventus and Borussia Dortmund traded spectacular goals in a dramatic Champions League clash at Allianz Stadium.
Dortmund appeared set for victory, leading 4-2 until stoppage time, but Juventus struck twice in the stoppage time to snatch a precious point from the visitors in a breathtaking 4-4 draw.
The hosts found themselves trailing 4-2 until the 93rd minute before late strikes from Dusan Vlahovic and Lloyd Kelly rescued them.
All eight goals came in the second half—five in a chaotic 22-minute spell and the remaining three in just 10 minutes. The contest was evenly matched in possession, with Juventus attempting 19 shots (seven on target) compared to Dortmund's 10 (five on target).
Vlahovic came off the bench to score a brace, while Kenan Yıldız and Kelly added the other goals for Juventus. Dortmund’s scorers were Karim Adeyemi, Felix Nmecha, Yan Couto, and Ramy Bensebaini.
After a dull first half that saw only two shots on target—both from Juventus—Adeyemi put Dortmund ahead in the 52nd minute with a powerful strike from outside the box. Yıldız equalized in the 63rd with a stunning long-range effort, before Nmecha restored Dortmund’s lead two minutes later. Vlahovic quickly replied in the 67th, but Yan Couto's goal in the 74th and Bensebaini’s penalty in the 86th made it 4-2 for the visitors.
Just as Dortmund looked to have sealed victory, Juventus roared back. In the fourth minute of added time, Vlahovic scored from close range, and two minutes later, Kelly headed home from his cross to level the match, sparking wild celebrations in Turin.
In other matches on the opening night of the Champions League, Arsenal secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao at San Mames, thanks to two goals from their substitutes. Meanwhile, 10-man Real Madrid battled back to a 2-1 win against Marseille, with Kylian Mbappe scoring both goals from the penalty spot. Tottenham Hotspur also started with a win, sealing a narrow 1-0 victory over Villarreal after capitalizing on a defensive mistake in the visitors’ box.
The first night also saw a couple of surprising upsets. PSV Eindhoven suffered a shocking 3-1 home defeat to the comparatively weaker Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise. Similarly, Benfica were stunned at home, losing 3-2 to Azerbaijani club Qarabag FK.