$100m Kane, Bellingham provide value in CL debut wins

GENEVA, Switzerland (AP):

Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham made $100 million moves in the offseason and proved their worth yesterday in Champions League debuts for their new clubs.

England captain Kane and his likely successor Bellingham scored crucial goals for Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, respectively, to show why they are adored, already by their new home fans.

Kane's precisely taken penalty quickly restored Bayern's two-goal lead against Manchester United early in the second half of a 4-3 win. The final result was due to a late and fruitless flourish by the club that wanted to sign Kane and keep him in England.

Bellingham landed just where he wanted in Madrid, and his 94th-minute goal in a 1-0 win over newcomer Union Berlin made it six goals for the English star in six straight wins to start the Spanish giant's season.

Back home in England, Arsenal returned to the Champions League after a six-year absence as if they had never been away. PSV Eindhoven was thrashed 4-0 in a no-doubt win sparked by England winger Bukayo Saka's goal in the eighth.

Late goals got Italian teams off to good starts in the last-ever group stage before the new Champions League format takes effect next year.

Serie A champions Napoli won 2-1 at Braga thanks to an own-goal in the 88th by Mali defender Sikou Niakate.

Lautaro Martinez was instrumental to Inter Milan's run to the final last season, and the Argentina forward struck in the 87th to take a 1-1 draw from Real Sociedad.

Galatasaray got goals in the 86th and 88th to deny Copenhagen a valuable away win in Istanbul - it ended 2-2 - and Europa League winner Sevilla was held 1-1 at home by Lens, who are last in the French league.

Salzburg surprised Benfica by winning 2-0 in Lisbon.

OLD MASTERS

Real Madrid were playing their 477th game in the European Cup or Champions League. Union Berlin was playing their first.

Madrid's European adventure started on Sept 8, 1955 -- a 2-0 win against Servette in Geneva -- in the third game ever played in the European Cup. Then, Union was playing behind the Iron Curtain in East Germany, outside the top tier, and known as SC Motor Berlin.

The experience told.

Union resisted Madrid's first 29 goal attempts, but the 30th proved too much when Jude Bellingham pirouetted to finish a pinball game goal in the goalmouth and shoot into an empty net. It was the second time this month he scored a decisive stoppage-time goal.

"I hope I keep scoring goals in minute 94 or 95," Bellingham said. "Although it might do my heart and the club, good to score earlier."