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Only 13 goals were scored across six matches, a stark contrast to the 28 goals netted the previous day, with Bayern Munich contributing nine of those.
This occurrence is quite rare; two 0-0 draws have already been recorded after just 12 of the 144 matches in the new league phase, nearing the total of four draws from 96 games in the previous group-stage format, which has now been discontinued. Last season, the competition averaged three goals per match.
Paris Saint-Germain and Girona were also on track for a goalless draw until a critical mistake by Girona's debutant goalkeeper, Paulo Gazzaniga, in the 90th minute allowed Nuno Mendes' cross to slip through his legs, resulting in a 1-0 victory for PSG.
Girona's coach Míchel remarked, “We won’t get to where we want to overnight. It requires hard work.”
Borussia Dortmund secured a 3-0 victory at Club Brugge with late goals from substitutes Jamie Gittens, who scored twice, and Serhou Guirassy, who converted a penalty in stoppage time.
The new format has introduced fresh talent and familiar faces to European soccer's premier competition.
Sparta Prague marked its return to this stage after 19 years with a 3-0 win over Salzburg.
Bologna, returning after a 60-year absence, showcased attacking intent against Champions League stalwart Shakhtar, who had a penalty saved early in the match by Bologna's goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski.
Slovan Bratislava faced a tough challenge in their first game since the 1992-93 season, with Georgia's Guram Kashia making his competition debut at the age of 37. They struggled against Celtic, who triumphed 5-1 in Glasgow, with goals from Ireland's Liam Scales and Adam Idah, Japan's Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda, along with Belgium's Arne Engels.
"The quality of the goals was outstanding," remarked Celtic coach Brendan Rodgers following only the fourth victory in 33 Champions League matches for the 1967 European Cup champions.
A unique Thursday lineup of Champions League fixtures will feature Barcelona traveling to Monaco, Atalanta welcoming Arsenal, and Bayer Leverkusen facing Feyenoord.
The new format kicks off with six matches over three consecutive nights. Now, 36 teams will compete against eight different opponents through January, with rankings determined in a single league table to establish which teams progress to the knockout stage.
Man City held to rare home draw
The clash between the champions of England and Italy ended in a stalemate, 15 months after Man City secured a 1-0 victory over Inter in Istanbul to claim their first European Cup title.
Ilkay Gundogan squandered two late opportunities for manager Pep Guardiola’s side, failing to convert two headed chances.
This marked the first occasion City had been unable to score at home in Europe’s premier tournament since a 0-0 draw with Sporting Lisbon in March 2022, and only the second time at home across all competitions since then, the other being a 0-0 stalemate with Arsenal in the Premier League in March.
Nevertheless, the result allowed City to extend their unbeaten home streak in European matches to 32, dating back to a 2-1 defeat against Lyon.
“I’m satisfied with our performance; I appreciated everything,” Guardiola stated.
Dortmund maintains clean sheet, yet again
Dortmund’s defense recorded a Champions League-leading six clean sheets last season on their way to the final, where Real Madrid scored two late goals to clinch the title.
Remarkably, goalkeeper Gregor Kobel thwarted Brugge despite facing 18 goal attempts, including a close-range effort from Hugo Vetlesen that struck the crossbar in the 12th minute. Vetlesen’s shot capped a frantic sequence of four attempts within seconds from a corner, which included a diving save by Kobel.
The goalkeeper from Switzerland made five crucial saves, allowing Dortmund to avoid the consequences of their missed opportunities until they finally took the lead in the 76th minute. A shot from Gittens deflected off two defenders and looped past Simon Mignolet into the net for Brugge.
Salzburg's Demanding Schedule
This season, few clubs will engage in as many international matches as Salzburg, now under the guidance of Pep Lijnders, who previously served as Jürgen Klopp's long-time assistant at Liverpool.
Salzburg had to navigate through two qualifying rounds for the Champions League in August after their decade-long title streak in Austria was interrupted by Sturm Graz. They are also set to play at least three additional matches in June at the Club World Cup in the United States.
The club qualified as one of 12 European teams for the revamped FIFA club tournament due to their consistent performance over the last four Champions League seasons, although they faced a setback in Prague.
“A few of our players were making their debut for the club,” Lijnders remarked. “We are in the process of building a new team.”
Sparta successfully navigated three qualifying rounds and played six matches to reach this stage, starting strong on Wednesday by scoring within two minutes, which set the tone for a comfortable victory.