Grimaldo Strikes Again – Leverkusen Snatches Dramatic Draw in Copenhagen

In a pulsating Champions League opener at Parken, Bayer Leverkusen rallied late to earn a 2-2 draw against FC Copenhagen, thanks largely to two key moments from Alejandro Grimaldo and a stoppage-time own goal.

Copenhagen took the lead early on when Jordan Larsson met a cross from Elias Achouri in the ninth minute to fire in.

Leverkusen struggled to build momentum in the first half, with Copenhagen dominating possession and chances.

The equaliser came eight minutes from full-time. Grimaldo curled a free kick over the wall into the bottom of the net off the underside of the bar to level the score.

Copenhagen restored their lead five minutes later through Robert, who nodded home from a low cross.

But Leverkusen refused to give in. In stoppage time Claudio Echeverri darted into the box and forced a cross, which deflected off Pantelis Hatzidiakos into his own net to rescue a point.

Bayer's coach Kasper Hjulmand was full of praise for Grimaldo's set-piece brilliance. "It's just world-class. Absolutely crazy," he said. He noted that Grimaldo had been frustrated earlier in the match when he missed another free kick, but added that "His free-kick ability is unbelievable. Pure, sheer world-class."

Copenhagen's coach Jacob Neestrup admitted that conceding so many good free kick chances to Grimaldo was costly. He had predicted before the last free kick that "you shouldn't give Grimaldo three great free-kick opportunities, because then he will score at one point or another."

Despite playing without key injured players like Nathan Tella and Exequiel Palacios, Leverkusen showed resilience. Hjulmand acknowledged the work ahead. “We are still learning what we can do with this group of new players… Today, we showed some character again. Being behind twice here in Parken is difficult. So we take the point and move on.”

Frankfurt Crush Galatasaray in Five-Goal Thriller

Eintracht Frankfurt launched their UEFA Champions League campaign with a ruthless 5-1 win over Galatasaray on Wednesday night, as Dino Toppmoller's side produced a clinical attacking display in front of their home fans. The result extended Galatasaray's miserable European away run to seven matches without a win, while Frankfurt moved top of the standings after the opening round of fixtures.

The Turkish champions arrived in Germany in superb domestic form, having won all five of their opening matches of the 2025/26 season under Okan Buruk, conceding only once. That confidence was reflected early on when Yunus Akgun opened the scoring after just eight minutes with a precise left-footed strike into the bottom corner.

For much of the first half, Galatasaray appeared in control, but their resistance collapsed just before the interval. First, Ritsu Doan's strike deflected off Davinson Sanchez and wrong-footed goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakır in the 44th minute. Moments later, 19-year-old Can Uzun smashed into the roof of the net to put Frankfurt in front, before Jonathan Burkardt's towering header from Fares Chaibi's free-kick made it 3-1 deep into added time.

Burkardt struck again just after the hour, this time with a header that deflected off Sanchez to beat Cakır, as Frankfurt stretched their advantage. Ansgar Knauff then completed the scoring in the 75th minute, pouncing after Gabriel Sara was caught in possession on the edge of his own penalty area.

Galatasaray's best chance to respond came when İlkay Gundogan, making his first Champions League appearance for the club since returning to Turkey, was denied by Michael Zetterer from close range. It proved a costly miss.

Toppmoller praised his side's spirit afterwards, saying: "We showed real character after going behind. The players stayed calm, trusted the plan, and once we got the equaliser, the momentum was all ours."

Buruk admitted his side had been punished for lapses in concentration: "We started well and had control, but in this competition, mistakes are decisive. Frankfurt were ruthless and deserved their victory."

The result gives Frankfurt a perfect start to their campaign, while Galatasaray must regroup quickly before their next European fixture if they are to keep their hopes alive.

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