PIX: Big win for Liverpool at San Siro; Nervy win for Real

IMAGES from UEFA Champions League matches played on Tuesday

Liverpool celebrated their return to the Champions League after a year's absence with a 3-1 victory over AC Milan at San Siro on Tuesday, overcoming a shaky start with goals from Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai.

Liverpool got off to an awful first few minutes in the battle between the two European heavyweights as Christian Pulisic fired Milan in front from a quick counter-attack in the third minute, aided by Liverpool's disorganised defending.

But the visitors quickly regrouped and stamped their authority on the game, with both Liverpool's centre backs getting on the scoresheet before halftime and Szoboszlai wrapping up the win after the break.

"A great way to spend my birthday," said Liverpool manager Arne Slot, who turned 46 on Tuesday and was serenaded post-game by the Liverpool fans. "You wouldn't have said this after five minutes, but after we did well."

Pulisic netted after sprinting down the right side virtually unchallenged to fire home from a tight angle.

The home side's celebration was short-lived, however, as Liverpool turned things around, dominating for much of the remainder of the game.

"Shaky start with the goal that we conceded," Van Dijk told Amazon Prime. "But after that, the way we stayed calm, kept playing, kept looking for the solution, I think that was very good to see."

Konate equalised in the 23rd minute when he leapt high above a crowd of defenders to head in Trent Alexander-Arnold's free kick, with his first goal in two-and-a-half years coming after Davide Calabria's tackle on Cody Gakpo led to the set-piece.

Skipper Van Dijk put Liverpool ahead to the delight of some 4,400 travelling fans when he nodded home Kostas Tsimikas' corner just before halftime.

Szoboszlai sealed the victory in the 67th minute, slotting into the far corner from Cody Gakpo's cross after Milan gave up possession and Liverpool broke quickly.

The night marked Slot's first Champions League game at the helm of the Merseyside club since he replaced Juergen Klopp, and it was a terrific response from his team after their shock 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday.

"The positive thing after losing on Saturday, which was quite a blow for us, to be honest, then to be 1-0 down after three minutes, you're always wondering how the team reacts, but I think we showed how good we can play," Slot said. "It's almost unbelievable that you lose against Forest at home, and then can play this well today."

Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah could have padded his team's lead several times, smashing two shots off the crossbar in the first half alone.

The last away team to come from behind to win a Champions League game at the San Siro was Liverpool in December 2021.

Late goals from Ruediger and Endrick give Real nervy win over Stuttgart

Real Madrid started their Champions League title defence with a hard-fought 3-1 home win over Stuttgart on Tuesday thanks to late goals by Antonio Ruediger and teenaged substitute Endrick.

Stuttgart were arguably the superior side at a sold-out Santiago Bernabeu stadium, with Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois having to make a string of critical saves to deny efforts by the German side.

Real, however, got the lead in the first minute of the second half in a quick counter-attack when Rodrygo crossed for Kylian Mbappe to strike from close range.

Stuttgart found the equaliser with a header by Deniz Undav in the 68th minute but Real substitute Luka Modric lifted a corner to meet Ruediger who nodded a header past the goalkeeper in the 83rd.

Eighteen-year-old Endrick slotted home a powerful shot from long range deep into added time to secure an edgy win for the local side.

"Those who watch Stuttgart closely know that they are an attacking side which scores a lot of goals but can be caught off guard; I'm glad that we managed to go out with a win," player-of-the-match Courtois told Movistar Plus.

"They pressed hard against us in the beginning and we suffered, sometimes by our own mistakes, but we got better and should have scored on many occasions.

"I'm content with the way we responded after the equaliser because winning is very important in this new format of the Champions League."

Manager Carlo Ancelotti, faced with a selection puzzle in defence with David Alaba still recovering from an ACL tear sustained last season and Eder Militao struggling with a lingering leg muscle problem, started fullback Dani Carvajal as a centre back and Stuttgart went aggressively after the right side of Real's defence, almost scoring on several occasions.

Carvajal and stand-in fullback Lucas Vazquez, both 1.73 metres tall, were easy targets for Stuttgart and were often caught out of position, giving the German side chances throughout the first half.

An inspired Courtois produced world-class saves from efforts by Jamie Leweling, Enzo Millot and Angelo Stiller within the first 20 minutes.

Real tried to hit back, with Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo all wasting good chances, but it was Stuttgart who came close to scoring through Undav in a counter-attack in the 29th minute when his strike was deflected on to the crossbar by Carvajal.

Ancelotti brought Militao off the bench at halftime, moving Carvajal to his original fullback position in a bid to fix his side's issues, and a defensive mistake by Stuttgart's Maximilian Mittelstadt gave Real the opener in the first minute of the second half.

Aurelien Tchouameni sent a long ball towards Rodrygo on the right touchline that Mittelstadt failed to clear, leaving the Brazilian forward unmarked and able to control the ball in his stride before crossing to Mbappe who tapped into the empty net from the far post.

Real Madrid kept piling on the pressure, with Rodrygo missing a couple of chances and Vinicius Jr hitting the crossbar from the edge of the box in the 59th minute.

Stuttgart were still dangerous on the break and Courtois had to make a couple of saves from efforts by Leweling before Undav's header from a corner levelled the match.

Stuttgart kept threatening a chaotic Real defence but the Spanish side got the lead again through Ruediger.

Vinicius Jr missed a sitter one-on-one against Stuttgart goalkeeper Alexander Nuebel in the 93rd minute, two minutes before Endrick's rocket strike from way outside the box.

Aston Villa return to top European stage in style with 3-0 win

Aston Villa made an impressive return to Europe's elite as they began their Champions League campaign with an accomplished 3-0 victory away to Swiss club Young Boys on Tuesday.

Youri Tielemans fired Villa in front in the 27th minute of their first game in Europe's top club competition for 41 years and after that the Premier League side dominated on the artificial turf of the Stadion Wankdorf.

Villa, European champions in 1982, doubled their advantage in the 38th minute with Jacob Ramsey tapping in from close range after terrible Young Boys defending.

The visitors had goals by Ollie Watkins and substitute Jhon Duran wiped off for handball but Amadou Onana drove in Villa's third late on to underline their superiority.

It proved a highly-satisfying night though for Unai Emery's side who will face stiffer tests against the likes of Bayern Munich, Juventus and Celtic in the competition's new format.

Villa's fans have waited a long time for glamour European nights on foreign soil and the 1,500 who made the trip were well-rewarded as their team turned on the style.

It was a poignant night too with fans singing the name of Villa's European Cup winning striker Gary Shaw who died on Monday as a result of a fall, aged 63.

Shaw was part of the side that beat Bayern Munich in the 1982 European Cup final and also played in Villa's European Super Cup win over Barcelona the following season.

"First of all, this victory is for Gary Shaw," Emery said. "We can follow in the Champions League, winning like they (1982 team) finished and we want to celebrate this victory and dedicate it to Gary Shaw and the Aston Villa family."

Since those heady days Villa have experienced tough times and were in the second-tier five years ago but under Spaniard Emery are now punching their weight again.

They were far too good for Young Boys after a slightly hesitant start which saw Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez forced into a save to keep out a shot by Ebrima Colley.

Villa soon settled though and took the lead when John McGinn picked out Tielemans following a short corner and the Belgian took a touch before angling his shot past Young Boys keeper David von Ballmoos to become the first Villa player to score in the competition since Peter Withe in the 1983 quarter-final.

The hosts gifted Villa their second goal as defender Mohamed Ali Camara passed the ball straight to Watkins who tumbled under the challenge of Von Ballmoos. It could have been a penalty but play continued and Ramsey tapped home.

Watkins was unfortunate to have a goal chalked off for handball after a VAR check and the livewire Duran was equally frustrated after his superb finish also counted for nothing.

There was no doubting Onana's effort though as he slammed home his third goal since joining from Everton in the summer.

"We are using the experiences we are adding to do our best playing in the Champions League," Emery said.

"Starting with the respect we have for every team and with playing away always being very difficult."

Dominant Sporting Lisbon beat 10-man Lille 2-0

Zeno Debast and Viktor Gyokeres fired Sporting Lisbon to a 2-0 Champions League win over 10-man Lille on Tuesday, as defender Angel Gomes was sent off for a second yellow card.

Sporting created a number of dangerous chances in the first half but were denied by goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier until Gyokeres latched on to a delightful pass from Pedro Goncalves to open the scoring in the 38th.

Two minutes later, Lille were reduced to 10 players when midfielder Gomes was shown a second yellow card for tripping Gyokeres, after being booked earlier for a push on Francisco Trincao.

In the second half, Debast unleashed a superb long-range effort into the top right corner to seal victory for the home side.

The Portuguese club are sixth in the standings and will next face Dutch side PSV Eindhoven on Oct. 1 in the new format, which sees clubs play eight matches in a 36-team league phase in place of the previous group stage.