Champions League Matchday 4: Inter and Manchester City Stay Perfect, Osimhen Fires Galatasaray to Glory

The UEFA Champions League’s league phase reached its halfway point with another night full of drama and goals. Inter and Manchester City maintained their winning streaks, Barcelona and Club Brugge shared a six-goal thriller, and Victor Osimhen’s spectacular hat-trick powered Galatasaray to a historic win in Amsterdam. There were also memorable results for Pafos, Qarabağ, and Atalanta as the group stage tightened further.

Inter Extend Their Perfect Start

Inter secured another crucial three points with a narrow 2–1 victory over Kairat Almaty at San Siro. Lautaro Martínez opened the scoring just before the break after sustained pressure, but Kairat equalised early in the second half through Ofri Arad’s header.

The decisive moment came 12 minutes later when Carlos Augusto unleashed a fierce long-range strike to restore Inter’s lead — ensuring Cristian Chivu’s side remain unbeaten in the competition.
Player of the Match: Carlos Augusto (Inter)

Manchester City Outclass Dortmund at the Etihad

Phil Foden delivered a masterclass as Manchester City brushed aside Borussia Dortmund 4–1. The midfielder scored twice, each a mirror image of the other — calm finishes from inside the box — while Erling Haaland netted his 27th goal of the season with a trademark powerful strike.

Rayan Cherki added a late fourth for City after a solo run, while Dortmund’s Waldemar Anton grabbed a consolation. Pep Guardiola’s side have now scored 14 goals in four group games.
Player of the Match: Phil Foden (Manchester City)

Club Brugge and Barcelona Share Six Goals in Classic

Belgium hosted one of the most entertaining matches of the round as Club Brugge and Barcelona drew 3–3 in a game full of attacking football. Nicolo Tresoldi and Ferran Torres traded early goals before Carlos Forbs put Brugge ahead again on the counter.

Lamine Yamal equalised with a stunning solo run, only for Forbs to score his second with a clever finish. The drama continued as Yamal’s shot deflected off Christos Tzolis for 3–3. Barcelona hit the post three times in the closing minutes but couldn’t find the winner.
Player of the Match: Carlos Forbs (Club Brugge)

Osimhen Hat-Trick Lifts Galatasaray in Amsterdam

Victor Osimhen produced one of the performances of the season, scoring a brilliant hat-trick as Galatasaray beat Ajax 3–0 away. The Nigerian striker opened the scoring with a diving header from Leroy Sané’s cross before converting two second-half penalties for handball.

He becomes only the second Galatasaray player ever to score a Champions League hat-trick, following Burak Yılmaz in 2012.
Player of the Match: Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray)

Qarabağ and Chelsea Share the Points

Chelsea fought back to draw 2–2 with Qarabağ in Baku. Estêvão’s early strike gave the visitors the lead, but Qarabağ responded through Leandro Andrade and a penalty from Marko Janković.

Substitute Alejandro Garnacho levelled for Chelsea with a powerful finish after a clever assist from Liam Delap. Both teams went close in added time, with Garnacho almost scoring a late winner.
Player of the Match: Estêvão (Chelsea)

Pafos Make History with First Champions League Win

Cypriot debutants Pafos recorded their first-ever win in the competition, beating Villarreal 1–0 in Limassol. Derrick Luckassen headed in from a Ken Sema corner right after the break to secure three points.

Goalkeeper Neofytos Michael also made crucial saves to deny Pape Gueye in the first half. Villarreal, semi-finalists in 2022, remain bottom of the group.
Player of the Match: Derrick Luckassen (Pafos)

Newcastle Keep Rolling with Third Straight Win

Newcastle United extended their winning streak to three games, defeating Athletic Club 2–0 at St. James’ Park. Dan Burn opened the scoring with a looping header from Kieran Trippier’s free-kick, and Joelinton added the second from a Harvey Barnes cross.

Eddie Howe’s side now sit sixth in the overall table, while Athletic remain on three points.
Player of the Match: Sandro Tonali (Newcastle)

Leverkusen Stun Benfica in Lisbon

Benfica’s struggles continued as they fell 1–0 at home to Leverkusen. Despite dominating possession, the Portuguese side couldn’t finish their chances — hitting the crossbar twice before Patrik Schick punished a defensive error with a decisive header.

Leverkusen’s Ibrahim Maza earned the Man of the Match award after controlling midfield and creating several counterattacking chances.
Player of the Match: Ibrahim Maza (Leverkusen)

Atalanta Edge Marseille in Late Drama

A tight contest in France was decided by Lazar Samardžić’s stunning long-range goal in the final minutes. Atalanta had dominated throughout but failed to convert earlier chances, including a missed penalty from Charles De Ketelaere.

Samardžić’s curling strike sealed a 1–0 win that puts Atalanta firmly in contention for qualification.
Player of the Match: Lazar Samardžić (Atalanta)

Full-Time Results

Inter 2–1 Kairat Almaty
Manchester City 4–1 Borussia Dortmund
Club Brugge 3–3 Barcelona
Ajax 0–3 Galatasaray
Qarabağ 2–2 Chelsea
Pafos 1–0 Villarreal
Newcastle 2–0 Athletic Club
Benfica 0–1 Leverkusen
Marseille 0–1 Atalanta

Key Talking Points

• Inter and Manchester City extend their unbeaten runs

• Osimhen scores historic hat-trick for Galatasaray

• Club Brugge and Barcelona deliver one of the games of the season

• Pafos claim their first Champions League win

• Benfica’s poor form continues under pressure in Lisbon

Analyst Note

Matchday 4 highlighted the diversity of strength across Europe: established giants like City and Inter remain clinical, while rising clubs such as Galatasaray, Pafos and Qarabağ bring fresh energy to the tournament. As the group phase reaches its decisive stage, consistency and composure under pressure are becoming the key factors separating contenders from followers.