Erling Braut Haaland became the first teenager to score a hat-trick on his Champions League debut since Wayne Rooney in 2004 as Red Bull Salzburg thrashed the Belgian champions, Genk, 6-2 in the Austrian side’s first match in the competition since 1994. The Yorkshire-born Norway international – the son of the former Nottingham Forest, Manchester City and Leeds midfielder Alf-Inge Haaland – scored his first in only the second minute before the 19-year-old completed his fourth hat-trick of the season before half-time.
WHAT A NIGHT!!!! pic.twitter.com/8UuuWW5Xb3
— Erling Haaland (@ErlingHaaland) September 17, 2019
History was also made in Germany as the 16-year-old Ansu Fati became the youngest player to feature in a Champions League game for Barcelona but his side needed a penalty save from Marc‑André ter Stegen to rescue a 0-0 draw against Borussia Dortmund. Replays, though, showed Ter Stegen had been off his line when the spot-kick was taken, but there was no video assistant referee review. Barcelona brought Lionel Messi on for the closing stages to replace Fati, for a first appearance of the new season. However, the Argentina forward was not able to help conjure a goal, seeing a stoppage-time effort blocked.
Earlier in Group F, Nicolò Barella scored a stoppage‑time equaliser for Internazionale to rescue a 1-1 draw at home to Slavia Prague.
In Group G, Lyon were held to a 1-1 home draw by Zenit St Petersburg. Memphis Depay’s penalty cancelled out Sardar Azmoun’s first-half opener for the Russian champions, while RB Leipzig defeated Benfica 2-1 in Lisbon.
Last season’s semi-finalists Ajax also made a winning start against Lille in Amsterdam, winning 3-0 to go top of Group H.
