Borussia Dortmund’s struggles continued on Tuesday after the troubled Bundesliga outfit fell to a 2-1 defeat at Bologna which dented their hopes of direct qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League. Goals in a matter of seconds in the second half from substitutes Thijs Dallinga and Samuel Iling-Junior gave Bologna their first ever win in the modern version of Europe’s elite club competition and handed Dortmund their fourth straight defeat in all competitions.

Last season’s finalists Dortmund, who opened the scoring in the 15th minute through Serhou Guirassy‘s classy chipped penalty, are 13th on 12 points, one point from the top eight with other teams set to complete the penultimate round of league phase matches on Wednesday.

Tuesday’s defeat piled more pressure on under-fire coach Nuri Sahin even though his players showed their support by joining him in a group hug after Guirassy netted his seventh goal in as many Champions league matches this season.

“I think we will sit down together tonight or tomorrow in Dortmund. Right now the game is too fresh,” said Sahin.

Dortmund sporting director Lars Ricken refused to guarantee the coach’s job after the game, telling Amazon Prime: “You will not get an off-the-cuff decision from me in Italy based on emotion.”

“We all want the best for Borussia Dortmund, we will discuss what is best for the club and what the solutions are so that we can get back on the road to success,” Ricken added.

Bologna are 27th on only five points but it would have been difficult to tell judging by the celebrations of the players, coach Vincenzo Italiano and 30,000 fans at a jumping Stadio Renato Dall’Ara.

Bologna ‘dream’ realised

The seven-time Italian champions won a preliminary round match against Anderlecht in the old European Cup in 1964, but were eliminated by the Belgians and didn’t return to the top level of continental competition until this season.

“We’re going out but for me today it’s as if we’d won a quarter-final or semi-final, I’m just so pleased,” said Italiano to Sky.

“There’s so much joy for our first win in the Champions League, it’s a dream come true for me.”

Bologna were furious with the spot-kick, for a soft foul on Waldemar Anton, with which Guirassy gave Dortmund the lead.

The hosts were even angrier when referee Serdar Gozubuyuk refused to give them a penalty of their own for a similar shirt tug on Dan Ndoye just as the Swiss looked set to score from a Riccardo Orsolini cross.

That incident, in the 19th minute, seemed to wake up a previously timid Bologna who then dominated, with Orsolini, twice, and Santiago Castro going close to netting their first Champions League goals.

But Italy international Orsolini, who has scored eight times this season, left the field with his head in his shirt 10 minutes before the break after being forced off with what looked like a hamstring injury and replaced by Iling-Junior.

Orsolini’s departure didn’t deflate Bologna however, with the Italians continuing to push for an equaliser which game in the 71st minute when, after being brilliantly sent through by Charalampos Lykogiannis, Jens Odgaard provided a perfect low cross for Dallinga to tap home.

And seconds later Bologna were ahead through Iling-Junior, who pounced on the rebound after Dallinga was denied a second by Gregor Kobel and gave his team a historic win.

John McGinn said there is no limit to Aston Villa’s ambition in the Champions League after beating Bologna 2-0 to go top of the table in a dream return to the competition. Villa last played in the top tier of European football back in 1983 but Unai Emery’s transformation of a sleeping giant knows no bounds as they became the only side to register three wins from three Champions League games so far. McGinn’s free-kick flew beyond everyone into the far corner to open the scoring in the second half before Jhon Duran kept up his prolific strike rate on a rare start for the Colombian.

“We don’t want to stop here. It puts us in a great position,” said McGinn, who joined the club when they were still in the second tier of English football in 2018.

“What we are building here is amazing.

“This is home for me. It is my seventh season here, we’ve had ups and downs. It has been a rollercoaster. Hopefully we can keep climbing.”

Bologna, by contrast, have just one point from their opening three games and one win in 11 games in all competitions this season.

The Rossoblu were one of the stories of European football last season as they finished fifth in Serie A to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 60 years.

However, they have struggled since losing star players Riccardo Calafiori and Joshua Zirkzee to Premier League giants Arsenal and Manchester United, while coach Thiago Motta left to take charge of Juventus.

Emery said on the eve of the game he wants to “break barriers” at a club that has not won a trophy since 1996.

And the Spaniard showed the impressive strength in depth at his disposal with a comfortable win despite making four changes.

“We are playing focussed, responsible and the team is progressing and maturing in everything,” said Emery.

Duran was finally handed his first start in either the Premier League or Champions League after scoring five times as a substitute this season.

Set-piece specialists

McGinn and England international Ezri Konsa returned from injury, while 35 million pounds ($46 million) signing Ian Maatsen came in at left-back.

French international Boubacar Kamara made his return from a serious knee injury as a late substitute, while club captain Tyrone Mings was on the bench for the first time since suffering an ACL injury in August 2023.

Villa’s strength from set-pieces has been one of the keys to Emery’s transformation of the club from battling relegation to beating off Europe’s finest over the past two years.

McGinn’s enticing delivery did not even need a touch from the cluster of bodies in the box as the Scotland midfielder’s strike found the bottom corner to break the deadlock 10 minutes into the second half.

Nine minutes later, Duran made sure of the points with a clinical near-post finish from Morgan Rogers’ cross.

The combustible striker then showed his displeasure at being replaced by Ollie Watkins moments later as he punched the bench in frustration.

But that did not take the shine off another memorable night for Villa in their meteoric rise since Emery arrived in Birmingham.

Nine points may already be enough to secure a playoff place with five games to spare.

Only the bottom 12 in the 36-team table will be eliminated, but Villa’s sights are now on trying to secure a top-eight finish and automatic qualification for the last 16.

Arne Slot became the first Liverpool manager to win eight of his opening nine matches as Mohamed Salah‘s brilliant strike sealed a 2-0 victory against Bologna in the Champions League on Wednesday. Slot has made a flying start to his reign after replacing Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool’s second successive victory in this season’s Champions League was another landmark moment for the Dutchman. Alexis Mac Allister put Liverpool ahead in the first half at Anfield and Salah bagged his 49th Champions League goal in the closing stages.

Already sitting top of the Premier League six matches into the season, the understated Slot has deftly ensured Liverpool haven’t missed a beat since the end of Klopp’s successful reign.

Even Klopp, Kenny Dalglish, Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley were unable to muster as many wins at the start of their spells in charge of the Reds.

“It’s hardly impossible to do something special at this club. It says a lot about how we started, how the players bought into it and the effort put in,” Slot said.

“We’ve kept many things the same, the players were very happy with former regimes. It’s nice to start this way, that’s clear.”

Liverpool began their European campaign with a 3-1 win against AC Milan and this was another confident display in Slot’s first taste of a Champions League evening at Anfield.

Slot, who managed in the Champions League with Feyenoord, said he wanted to create a “special night” and the history-making win surely lived up to that billing.

Klopp led Liverpool to the Champions League crown in 2019 and also reached the 2018 and 2022 finals, producing countless iconic moments in the process.

Slot’s assured start already has the six-time kings of Europe dreaming of another memorable Champions League campaign.

“It wasn’t an easy one, in my opinion Bologna made it difficult. The last pass could have been better,” Slot said.

“Overall a good result but I wouldn’t use the world ‘delighted’ myself.

“There are even more difficult fixtures coming up, starting on Saturday when we play a 12.30pm kick-off (at Crystal Palace) after a Wednesday evening Champions League game.”

Bologna, surprise qualifiers for the Champions League after a 60-year absence, competed gamely but couldn’t find the finishing touch to produce a fairytale upset.

– Mac Allister makes point –

Liverpool quickly seized the momentum and by the 11th minute they had the lead.

Mac Allister had spoken this week of his pleasure at being given more freedom by Slot’s tactics than he enjoyed in Klopp’s more rigid system.

And the Argentine underlined the point as he started the move that led to Liverpool’s opener and finished it with a perfectly-timed run into the Bologna area to meet Salah’s cross with a close-range strike.

Mac Allister’s energetic burst from midfield also served as a rebuke to his team-mates after his low ‘pace’ rating in the new EA FC video game became a source of amusement at the club’s training ground.

Dominik Szoboszlai should have doubled Liverpool’s advantage but the Hungarian fired just wide from Salah’s cross.

Back as Liverpool’s central striker after missing last weekend’s win at Wolves due to illness, Darwin Nunez couldn’t find the accuracy to beat Lukasz Skorupski after bearing down on the Bologna keeper.

Liverpool’s dominance suddenly drained away as Bologna awoke from their slumber and threatened a surprise equaliser.

Riccardo Orsolini’s goal-bound header was blocked by his own team-mate before Dan Ndoye’s fierce drive smacked off the woodwork.

Pouncing on a mistake by Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kacper Urbanski’s strike forced a fine save from Alisson Becker.

Alisson had scramble across to keep out Orsolini’s free-kick early in the second half.

But Liverpool gradually regained control and Salah went close with a curler from the edge of the area.

Salah delivered the knockout blow in the 75th minute as the Egyptian scored for the sixth time this term.

He cut in from the right flank, glided past Juan Miranda with ease and curled a superb strike into the far corner from 18 yards.

Holders Real Madrid will face Liverpool away and host Borussia Dortmund in a repeat of last season’s final in the league stage of the new-look Champions League, the draw for which took place on Thursday. Every team will play eight games against eight different opponents in the new format of Europe’s elite club competition, with all 36 clubs now pooled together into one league rather than split into groups. Madrid, who have signed France superstar Kylian Mbappe since winning a record-extending 15th European Cup, will also notably play AC Milan at home and will go to Atalanta.

Real beat last season’s Europa League winners Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup in Warsaw earlier this month.

Liverpool, who are back in the Champions League after a one-season absence, will also notably meet Milan and take on tournament debutants Girona.

However, supporters of the Anfield club will perhaps be most excited about the prospect of hosting German champions Bayer Leverkusen, coached by former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso.

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, winners of the competition in 2023, will play at home to Italian champions Inter Milan and go to both Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus.

However, they were also handed more comfortable opponents including Club Brugge, Sparta Prague and Slovan Bratislava, who have never played in the modern Champions League proper.

Other standout head-to-heads will include Bayern Munich against both PSG and Barcelona, and Arsenal against Inter and Paris.

The number of clubs in the Champions League has increased from 32 in the past, with the 36 participants split into four seeded pots of nine for the draw.

Every team faces two teams from each of the four pots, one at home and one away. The first matches will be played on September 17, 18 and 19.

The two extra matchdays in the new league phase will take place in January, at the end of which the top eight clubs in the 36-team classification will advance directly to the last 16.

Those ranked between ninth and 24th place will go through to play a play-off round from which will emerge the remaining eight sides advancing to the last 16.

The bottom 12 in the league phase will be eliminated altogether, with no clubs parachuting down into the Europa League as in the past.

The Europa League and third-tier Conference League, the draws for which take place on Friday, will also now feature 36 clubs, although the latter competition will involve only six matchdays in the league phase.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia starred as Napoli got their first win under Antonio Conte on Sunday by beating Bologna 3-0, while Roma slumped to a shock 2-1 home defeat to Empoli. Georgia star Kvaratskhelia celebrated becoming a dad on Wednesday by netting Napoli’s second with 15 minutes remaining in an absorbing contest at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. But while his deflected strike ensured Napoli of the three points and redemption after last weekend’s humbling at Verona, Kvaratskhelia’s real touch of class came in stoppage time at the end of the first half.

The 23-year-old, who also hit the crossbar, clipped a delightful pass over the Bologna defence for the onrushing Giovanni Di Lorenzo, who lashed home the opening goal and unleashed joy both in the stands and on the touchline.

“I think you saw it on the pitch, the energy, and I did everything for the team,” said Kvaratskhelia to DAZN.

“This week was for me so important, I’m so happy that I also came here and won with the team. I’m so happy.”

Napoli captain Di Lorenzo was heavily criticised after his dire performances at Euro 2024, where Italy were dumped out as reigning champions in the quarter-finals by Switzerland.

But his goal helped Napoli beat an enterprising Bologna team who should have more than the one point that they have collected from their first two matches.

“These fans show me a lot of love and I try to pay that back every time I step out onto the pitch,” said Di Lorenzo.

Substitute Giovanni Simeone made it a brilliant home debut for Conte when he forced home new signing David Neres’ low cross deep in added time.

Roma crumble

Also on one point are Roma who lost to Empoli at home for the first time in their history after a hugely disappointing display in which Paulo Dybala staying in the Italian capital wasn’t enough to inspire Daniele De Rossi‘s side.

Emmanuel Gyasi’s tap-in on the stroke of half-time and a Lorenzo Colombo penalty in the 61st minute sank Roma, who pulled one back through Eldor Shomurodov with 10 minutes remaining but couldn’t complete a comeback.

Dybala, whose move to Saudi Arabian outfit Al Qadsiah collapsed on Thursday, was one of three Roma players to hit the woodwork alongside Lorenzo Pellegrini and Gianluca Mancini.

But Roma were booed off the pitch for the way they fell two goals behind against a team which is expected to struggle against relegation.

“We were lacking energy and intensity… We played well in the second half but it wasn’t enough, and if you don’t play well in the first half things aren’t going to well for you,” said De Rossi to Sky Sport.

De Rossi doesn’t have long to get his team’s spirits up as Roma travel to Juventus, who face Verona on Monday, next weekend.

Adams emulates Law

Earlier, Che Adams emulated Denis Law with the decisive goal in Torino’s 2-1 win over Atalanta on Sunday, delighting fans who had called for the owner to sell in mass pre-match protests.

Scotland striker Adams netted his first goal for Torino since signing as a free agent last month, tapping home the hosts’ second four minutes after half-time.

The 28-year-old became the first of his countrymen to score for Torino since Scotland and Manchester United legend Law in the 1961/62 season.

Adams rolling in the winner after Duvan Zapata‘s low shot was saved made it a perfect home debut in which he also set up Ivan Ilic’s delightful dinked equaliser in the 31st minute.

His strike, and Vanja Milinkovic-Savic saving Mario Pasalic’s penalty deep in stoppage time, put Torino on four points from their first two matches.

The win came after thousands of fans marched to the game together to demand that owner and media magnate Urbano Cairo sell the club after 19 largely drab years at the helm.

Fiorentina were held to a goalless draw by Venezia in the day’s other early kick-off. 

In a match that might have been a test of Thiago Motta‘s credentials to take over Juventus, his Bologna team made a blazing start but collapsed at the end and drew 3-3 with the Turin giants on Monday. Former Italy midfielder Motta’s contract with Bologna, where the 41-year-old has been since 2022, expires at the end of the season. His team have been a revelation this season and are already qualified for next season’s Champions League. Monday’s draw preserved third place, ahead of Juventus on tiebreak.

Juventus playing their first match since Massimiliano Allegri was fired following a spectacular tantrum as his team won the Italian Cup last week, started in a daze.

After two minutes, Riccardo Calafiori side-footed into the roof of net as the ball dropped to him in space following a corner.

On 11 minutes, Argentinian Santiago Castro, a 19-year-old making his first Serie A start, headed in at the near post. The only challenge he had to survive was from teenage team-mate Kacper Urbanski, also eager to nod in from close range.

With Juventus seemingly uninterested in running or tackling, unmarked Jens Odgaard then smashed home a 13th-rebound but was deemed offside.

Juventus showed more bite after their half-time encounter with interim coach Paolo Montero, the former Uruguay defender who had been managing the club’s Under-19 team.

With the visitors pressing, Castro pinched the ball in midfield in the 53rd minute and launched a Bologna counter-attack. It finished with centre back Calafiori running in alone on goal and chipping Wojciech Szczesny.

After both coaches made five changes, Bologna imploded in five chaotic minutes.

Federico Chiesa pounced on an error by Jhon Lucumi to pull a goal back for Juventus after 76 minutes. 

Motta had taken off both goalscorers. Montero, it turned out, had sent on two. 

Substitute Arkadiusz Milik added the second for the visitors from a deflected free kick after 83 minutes. A minute later another replacement Kenan Yildiz skipped through the home defence and levelled.

Montero danced in the rain on the touchline.

He is in charge for the last two games of the season.

Motta has been rumoured for weeks to be joining Juve next season, with Allegri’s sacking on Friday only heightening the speculation.

“I haven’t decided, nor signed anything,” Motta told reporters ahead of  Monday night’s game.

“Next week I’ll sit down with the president (Joey Saputo) to take a decision together. Then we will make an announcement together.

Allegri was sent off in the final minutes of last Wednesday’s 1-0 Cup Final win against Atalanta for ranting at match officials and is also alleged to have manhandled threatened the chief editor of newspaper Tuttosport.

The 56-year-old won 12 trophies, including five Serie A titles, and reached two Champions League finals with Juventus over two spells as manager.