Torres hits hat-trick as PSG thrash Slovan, Liverpool down Atletico

Ferran Torres scored a hat-trick and Ousmane Dembele also starred as Paris Saint-Germain began their quest to win a third consecutive Champions League title by thrashing Slovan Bratislava 6-1 at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Alexis Mac Allister did his case for an improved Liverpool contract no harm with the winner as Andoni Iraola got off to a winning Champions League start by beating Atletico Madrid 2-1.

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Last year's Ballon d'Or winner Dembele had bagged a brace by the midway point in the first half in the French capital, and then set up Spain's World Cup final hero Torres to make it 3-0 by the interval.

Torres, a close-season signing from Barcelona, added two more just after the restart to complete his hat-trick before the hour mark, with Suleiman Camara pulling one back for the Slovakian champions and Fabian Ruiz then sealing PSG's win.

Anything other than a comfortable PSG victory would have been an enormous surprise given the gulf in resources between these clubs, and this was really just a warm-up for Luis Enrique's team ahead of much tougher tests to come in the league phase.

The French club are bidding to follow in the footsteps of the Real Madrid side of 2016 to 2018 and become just the second team in the history of the modern Champions League to win the trophy three years running.

Real, Ajax and Bayern Munich were the only teams to achieve that feat in the days of the old European Cup.

PSG's next two games will be against teams hoping to end their reign, with a trip to Manchester City and a home clash with Barcelona to come in October.

Slovan, in contrast, are just hoping to do better than on their last appearance in the league phase two years ago, when they lost all eight matches.

Mac Allister caps Liverpool comeback to beat Atletico

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Caption Photo: AFP

Mac Allister expressed his frustration at not being offered a new deal on the eve of the match, but responded by blasting home from the edge of the box to cap Liverpool's comeback.

Marcos Llorente had given Atletico an early lead before Dominik Szoboszlai levelled before half-time.

Victory came at a cost for the Reds, though, as new signing Bradley Barcola limped off with a calf injury.

For the first time three players who cost in excess of £100 million ($135 million) were named in the same side as Barcola made his Anfield debut alongside Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz in the Liverpool attack.

Odegaard gives Arsenal winning start at Napoli

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Caption Photo: AFP

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard's sensational late strike broke stern Napoli resistance as the English champions began their bid for Champions League glory with a hard-fought 1-0 win in Naples.

Mikel Arteta's side, who lost to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties in last season's final, spurned several glorious chances against the well-drilled hosts before the Norwegian lashed a shot off the post and in from the edge of the area with 15 minutes to go.

It continued a perfect start to the campaign for Arsenal, who began their Premier League title defence with three wins in a row before condemning Massimiliano Allegri's team to a third consecutive defeat.

Arsenal's next European test comes at home to Lille on Tuesday, October 13, while Napoli travel to Villarreal on the same day as they look to bounce back.