By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer
MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Manchester City return to the Champions League with Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane and Erling Haaland enjoying red-hot starts to their seasons.
They all found the net in their teams’ league victories this weekend to extend impressive scoring runs. Each has scored at least once in all but one of the games in which they played for club and country this season.
Haaland arrives for Man City’s league-phase match at Villarreal on Tuesday having scored 23 goals in 13 matches, including 10 goals in his last five matches with City and Norway. He scored both goals in City’s 2-0 win against Everton in the Premier League on Saturday.
The fastest player to 50 goals in the Champions League, the 25-year-old Haaland also scored twice when City drew 2-2 at Monaco in the Champions League earlier this month. City had opened with a 1-0 win against Napoli.
“We hope his (scoring) streak ends,” Villarreal coach Marcelino García said about Haaland. “If I say he’s the best No. 9, I’m not telling you anything. But we want to play against the best, and that helps us grow. That’s the ambition we must have. We’ll try to keep him from touching the ball much, but we know that even then he’ll score, which makes it more difficult. We hope he finishes without scoring.”
The 32-year-old Kane has 22 goals in 14 matches, with 15 goals coming in his last eight games with Bayern and England. He scored once in his team’s 2-1 win against Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga on Saturday. Bayern, which currently leads the league phase, hosts Club Brugge on Wednesday.
Mbappé has 18 goals in 14 appearances with Madrid and France. He has scored nine goals in his last six games, including the winner in Madrid’s 1-0 win at Getafe in the Spanish league on Sunday.
“We’re very pleased with how Kylian is doing,” Madrid coach Xabi Alonso said. “He’s been decisive with his goals and his involvement.”
The 26-year-old Mbappé is set to become the youngest player to make 90 appearances in the Champions League proper. The record is currently held by former Madrid great Raúl González, who was 27 years old when he reached that mark.
Madrid, which also started the league phase with two victories, hosts Juventus on Wednesday. The Italians are coming off two draws in the Champions League, against Borussia Dortmund and at Villarreal. Juventus lost 2-0 at Como in the Italian league on Sunday.
Surprising Qarabag
Six teams have started with victories in the first two rounds, including surprising Qarabag from Azerbaijan, which will go for three in a row when it visits winless Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday. Qarabag had never won in the competition proper before.
Among the others with two wins is defending champion Paris Saint-Germain, which visits Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday.
Arsenal will try to extend its perfect start when it hosts Atletico Madrid on Tuesday. The Premier League leader is seeking its 100th Champions League victory.
Inter Milan, runner-up to PSG in last season’s final, visits Belgium’s Union Saint-Gilloise on Tuesday.
Struggling Liverpool
Liverpool, enduring a four-game losing streak that includes a home defeat against Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday, will try to rebound in the Champions League when it visits Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday.
Among Liverpool’s recent setbacks was a loss at Galatasaray in its second league-phase match.
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah needs two goals to reach 50 in the Champions League. The Egypt international is trying to become the first African player to reach that mark.
Barcelona is another team looking to make up some lost ground in the Champions League after a home defeat against PSG in the previous round. It will host Olympiakos at Montjuic stadium on Tuesday.
“Olympiakos have some really good attacking players,” Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said. “They are very good offensively and we have to be attentive to their attackers. They have a clear idea of their game and we will have to be alert.”
Barcelona’s 18-year-old Lamine Yamal is set to become the youngest player to make 25 appearances in the Champions League. The current youngest is 19-year-old PSG midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery.
Chelsea, which also picked up only one league-phase win so far, hosts winless Ajax on Wednesday. It will be Chelsea’s 200th match in the Champions League proper, and Ajax’s 250th game in European Cup-Champions League history.
Another winless team, José Mourinho’s Benfica, visits Newcastle on Tuesday.
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