Feyenoord and Atalanta secured their first wins in the revamped Champions League on Wednesday, each achieving victory in markedly different ways during the second round of matches.
Atalanta dominated with a comfortable 3-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk, while Feyenoord fought hard for a 3-2 triumph over Girona, making their debut in the tournament.
Albanian defender Berat Djimsiti, Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman, and Italian Raoul Bellanova were all on target for Atalanta in their match held in Gelsenkirchen.
The game was designated as Shakhtar’s home fixture, but due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the team continues to play at Schalke’s stadium in Germany.
In Spain, Girona took an early lead with a close-range effort from center-back David López.
However, the Dutch champions leveled the game through an own goal by Yangel Herrera before Antoni Milambo put them ahead in the 31st minute.
Girona responded when Donny van de Beek equalized, but a second own goal—this time from Ladislav Krejci—ultimately handed Feyenoord the win in a match where both teams also missed penalties.
In later fixtures, 15-time champion Real Madrid traveled to Lille, with star forward Kylian Mbappé starting on the bench following a minor hamstring issue.
Meanwhile, Liverpool hosted Bologna, Bayern Munich faced Aston Villa, and Juventus took on Leipzig.
