Champions League newcomers Bodo/Glimt of Norway and Pafos from Cyprus got hard-earned points in debut-making draws Wednesday, playing before Paris Saint-Germain started its title defense.
Bodo/Glimt had a second-half penalty kick saved and then trailed by two goals at Slavia Prague, before rallying with goals in the 78th and 90th minutes. Substitute Sondre Brunstad Fet got the late leveler.
Slavia had led with a goal in each half from Senegalese defender Youssoupha Mbodji, making his first start for
the club. Bodo/Glimt needed a stunning save from goalkeeper Nikita Haikin in the 11th minute of stoppage time.
Pafos grinded out a 0-0 draw at Olympiakos after playing with 10 men from the 26th minute. Journeyman Brazilian midfielder Bruno Felipe was sent off for a second yellow-card foul.
The 38-year-old David Luiz, once a World Cup star for Brazil, lasted just 33 minutes before going off injured in his first start for Pafos.
Russian-owned Pafos is the first Cypriot team in the Champions League main phase since 2017, and Bodo/Glimt ended Norway's 18-year absence.
Both play in home stadiums that can hold fewer than 10,000 fans, though Pafos will borrow a slightly bigger UEFA-standard stadium at Limassol when it hosts Bayern Munich in two weeks’ time.
Bodo/Glimt next hosts Tottenham on its artificial turf field inside the Arctic Circle.
Paris Saint-Germain was starting its defense of the title in one of the four later games which include two rematches of past finals and six-time European champion Liverpool opening at Anfield against Atletico Madrid. Liverpool gave a first start to Alexander Isak, its British transfer record signing from Newcastle.
PSG resumes against more Italian opposition, hosting Atalanta at Parc des Princes for its first game in the competition since demolishing Inter Milan 5-0 in Munich.
That was three-time European champion Inter’s fourth loss in a final. The second defeat, in 1972, was against Ajax which now hosts Inter in Amsterdam. Both Ajax’s John Heitinga and Inter’s Cristian Chivu will be coaching their first career games in the Champions League with teams they once played for in the competition.
Bayern Munich hosts Chelsea in the stadium where the English club won the first of its two Champions League titles in 2012 against the German team.
The Champions League stretches into a third day for the opening round which is completed Thursday with six more games, including 2023 winner Manchester City welcoming back Kevin De Bruyne with Napoli.
A stoppage-time comeback by Juventus to draw 4-4 with Borussia Dortmund was the standout game of the first six played Tuesday while Kylian Mbappé converted two penalties and 10-man Real Madrid came back to beat visiting Marseille 2-1.
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