Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona set the tone for Champions League Matchday 1 with emphatic victories, but it was Arsenal's disciplined 1-0 win at Napoli that provided the night's most compelling storyline. Martin Ødegaard netted the decisive goal as the Gunners ground out a hard-fought result at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, answering the questions many fans had been asking about his form — with Ødegaard's stats speaking for themselves in a composed, clinical display.

PSG delivered the most eye-catching scoreline of the evening, dismantling Slovan Bratislava 6-1 in a one-sided affair in Paris. Ferran Torres claimed a hat-trick as PSG peppered the Slovan goal with 32 shots across the 90 minutes. Goalkeeper Dominik Takac kept the score from reaching truly embarrassing proportions with eight saves, but it was nowhere near enough against a relentless attacking display. Maghnes Akliouche and Achraf Hakimi each contributed four key passes, pulling strings from different areas of the pitch as PSG ran riot in a seven-goal spectacle.

Barcelona were almost as ruthless, dispatching Feyenoord 5-1 at home in a performance that underlined their credentials as serious contenders this season. The Catalan side were in control throughout, overwhelming the Dutch visitors with wave after wave of attacking football. The result will serve as a warning to the rest of Europe that Hansi Flick's Barcelona mean business in this competition.

At Anfield, Liverpool edged past Atlético Madrid 2-1 in a hard-fought contest. Dominik Szoboszlai was at the heart of everything good for Liverpool, delivering five key passes as the Hungarian midfielder orchestrated the Reds' build-up play against Diego Simeone's typically stubborn side. It was a result that required patience and quality in equal measure. Elsewhere, Stuttgart took care of business with a 3-1 victory over Viking, rounding out a productive evening for the established European heavyweights.

Matchday 1 produced 18 goals across the five fixtures and offered a clear early picture: the traditional powerhouses mean business. Arsenal's result at Napoli — controlled and efficient — suggests the Gunners have the defensive resilience to complement their attacking quality. With Ødegaard pulling the strings, Arsenal fixtures in this competition promise to be intriguing as the group stage develops.

Attention now turns to Matchday 2, where these early results will be tested against stiffer opposition. PSG and Barcelona will look to maintain their goal-scoring form, while Arsenal and Liverpool will aim to build on narrow but significant opening wins. The Champions League is only just getting started, but the first night set a high bar.