Christos Tzolis scored the only goal as Club Brugge edged out Sturm Graz 1-0 for their first win in this season's Champions League.

The Greece international delivered the decisive blow in the 23rd minute at 28 Black Arena on Wednesday.

Both sides were seeking their first point in the competition, having recorded defeats on matchday one against Borussia Dortmund and Brest respectively.

Brugge broke through midway through the first half, as Tzolis controlled before firing in off the post from the edge of the penalty area.

The visitors went close to doubling their lead after the break, but Sturm Graz goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen came to the hosts' rescue with a series of fine saves.

Urged on by the home fans, Christian Ilzer's side went in search of an equaliser, but it did not arrive as Brugge held out for the points.

Data Debrief: Third time unlucky for Sturm Graz

Sturm Graz have now suffered four successive Champions League defeats for the third time in their history.

Meanwhile, the Austrian side have now lost their last four European matches against Belgian opposition without scoring.

By contrast, Brugge maintained their perfect record of three straight wins against Austrian opponents, while they have now kept four clean sheets in five Champions League away games - as many as in their previous 22.

Tzolis' strike came from one of three shots on target, becoming the first Brugge player to register that amount in a single Champions League game since Hans Vanaken did so against Paris Saint-Germain in September 2021.

Borussia Dortmund rode their luck in their Champions League opener, but Nuri Sahin believes they deserved the three points against Club Brugge.

Dortmund won 3-0, with all of their goals coming in the final 14 minutes after their hosts had spurned several chances.

Brugge were the better side for much of the contest, but Jamie Gittens' brace and a penalty from Serhou Guirassy, who netted for the first time in a Dortmund shirt, sealed the win for the visitors. 

In the process, Gittens became the second-youngest player to score two or more goals as a substitute in a Champions League game, older than only Monaco's David Trezeguet.

And Sahin hailed his side's resilience for pushing them to victory.

"It was important to start with an away win against a tough opponent," Sahin said. "It was a good, attacking match from both teams.

"In the end, with the changes we had, I think we deserved to win."

However, Dortmund captain Emre Can admitted: "It wasn't a top performance but we took the win."

Midfielder Julian Brandt praised substitutes Gittens and Guirassy for their impact off the bench, which turned the contest in the team's favour.

"It was tough in the first half. We ran a lot," Brandt told DAZN. "It was a lot of work and a lot of attrition.

"At the end, you could see that the spaces were getting bigger. It's a good thing that the bench scores the goals.

"Once again, the substitutes decided the game."

Meanwhile, Brugge goalkeeper Simon Mignolet rued his side's profligacy in front of goal when the score was level at 0-0.

"That's the Champions League," he said. "Our performance was very good. If we score the first ourselves, the scenario is ideal. But they did that, and then you get an exaggerated scoreline.

"The difference is the squad depth of Dortmund. What they have on the bench... after a gruelling match, it is not easy against someone [like Gittens] who comes fresh from the bench.

"We can be very satisfied with our match. The football was very good and we created chances. We just have to seize our moments. Then we could even win." 

Jamie Gittens scored twice as Borussia Dortmund opened their Champions League campaign with a 3-0 victory away at Club Brugge.

Serhou Guirassy added a late penalty for last season's finalists, who netted three times in the final quarter of an hour at Jan Breydelstadion.

Brugge carried the greater attacking threat for most of the contest, going closest to scoring when Hugo Vetlesen rattled the crossbar, but they were made to pay for their profligacy.

Gittens entered the action as a 68th-minute substitute and broke the deadlock eight minutes later - albeit in fortuitous circumstances - with his shot taking two deflections before nestling in the top-left corner.

The 20-year-old doubled his and Dortmund's tally with four minutes remaining, cutting inside before firing past Simon Mignolet in the Brugge goal.

Guirassy added further gloss to the scoreline from the penalty spot deep into stoppage time, slotting home from 12 yards after he was fouled by Brandon Mechele.

Data Debrief: Super sub Gittens stars in historic win

Keeping Brugge at bay, Dortmund became the first team in Champions League history to play a single opponent five times without conceding a goal.

Gittens got the ball rolling at the other end. At 20 years and 41 days old, he is the second-youngest player to score two or more goals as a substitute in a Champions League game, older than only Monaco's David Trezeguet, who was just 34 days younger when he struck against K. Lierse SK in October 1997.

Guirassy completed the victory from the spot, meaning Dortmund have now converted each of their last six Champions League penalties, last failing from 12 yards against Barcelona in September 2019 through Marco Reus.

Jamie Gittens scored twice as Borussia Dortmund opened their Champions League campaign with a 3-0 victory away at Club Brugge.

Serhou Guirassy added a late penalty for last season's finalists, who netted three times in the final quarter of an hour at Jan Breydelstadion.

Brugge carried the greater attacking threat for most of the contest, going closest to scoring when Hugo Vetlesen rattled the crossbar, but they were made to pay for their profligacy.

Gittens entered the action as a 68th-minute substitute and broke the deadlock eight minutes later—albeit in fortuitous circumstances—with his shot taking two deflections before nestling in the top-left corner.

The 20-year-old doubled his and Dortmund's tally with four minutes remaining, cutting inside before firing past Simon Mignolet in the Brugge goal.

Guirassy added further gloss to the scoreline from the penalty spot deep into stoppage time, slotting home from 12 yards after he was fouled by Brandon Mechele.

Data Debrief: Super sub Gittens stars in historic win

Keeping Brugge at bay, Dortmund became the first team in Champions League history to play a single opponent five times without conceding a goal.

Gittens got the ball rolling at the other end. At 20 years and 41 days old, he is the second-youngest player to score two or more goals as a substitute in a Champions League game, older than only Monaco's David Trezeguet, who was just 34 days younger when he struck against K. Lierse SK in October 1997.

Guirassy completed the victory from the spot, meaning Dortmund have now converted each of their last six Champions League penalties, last failing from 12 yards against Barcelona in September 2019 through Marco Reus.

Borussia Dortmund are determined to replicate the heroics of their remarkable Champions League campaign last season, head coach Nuri Sahin said ahead of Wednesday's opener at Club Brugge.

The 36-year-old Sahin will lead Dortmund in Europe's elite club competition for the first time when the Bundesliga side visit Bruges.

Dortmund announced Sahin, their former assistant coach, in June as their new manager to replace Edin Terzic, who led the German club to the Champions League final last term.

Terzic's men subsequently lost to LaLiga giants Real Madrid 2-0 in the Wembley showpiece, though Sahin is desperate for another deep run in Europe.

"After two or three matchdays, you will see how it's going," Sahin told reporters on Tuesday. "As a finalist last year, we're self-confident.

"Dortmund are a name in Europe. We want to live up to that and go through. We want to play a good role in all competitions."

Dortmund may be concerned given only one of the last five losing Champions League finalists have then started their next campaign with a win (D2 L2), a 6-3 win for Manchester City against RB Leipzig in 2021-22.

They are in different hands under Sahin, a German-born former Turkey international, who played 274 matches for Dortmund.

He won the Bundesliga in the 2010-11 season and was a Champions League runner-up with them in the 2012-13 campaign when they were managed by Jurgen Klopp.

Sahin now feels ready to take charge on the biggest stage, having started his debut Bundesliga season as a manager with seven points in three matches.

"I'm delighted to be a coach in the Champions League. This is special. I'm really looking forward to my first game on this stage," Sahin said.

However, he expects a tough outing against Brugge, who have won four of their seven matches in the Belgian Pro League.

"Since we've known that we're playing against them, we've watched very many matches. The team has a clear philosophy of play and principles, a good team," Sahin added.

RB Leipzig have confirmed the capture of 19-year-old attacker Antonio Nusa from Jupiler Pro League side Club Brugge. 

Nusa, who was of interest to several Premier League sides in the January transfer window, has signed a five-year deal with the Bundesliga outfit. 

The Norwegian made 46 appearances in all competitions last season, scoring four goals and helping the Blauw-Zwart to a 19th league title. 

He takes the number seven shirt vacated by Dani Olmo following his reported £51m transfer to Barcelona after his impressive showings at Euro 2024. 

Nusa is the second signing made by Die Roten Bullen from the Belgian top flight, with goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt arriving from Genk earlier in the window. 

"I'm just incredibly proud to be at RB Leipzig and in the Bundesliga now. The club showed me a clear vision and a clear path, which totally convinced me," Nusa said.

"It's a big step for me, of course – but I'm ready for it. RB Leipzig has developed into one of the top clubs in Europe and is above all one of the top addresses for young players.

"It's just an outstanding feeling to be able to play there in front of over 45,000 fans in a few days."

Lucas Beltran was Fiorentina's hero as his late penalty in a 1-1 draw with Club Brugge ensured they progressed to the Europa Conference League final.

Beltran held his nerve from the spot to score an 85th-minute equaliser, earning a draw on the night but a 4-3 aggregate victory.

Fiorentina won the first leg 3-2, but Hans Vanaken's 20th-minute opener levelled the tie, on Wednesday.

Christian Kouame hit the woodwork twice for Fiorentina, but the pressure finally told when Brandon Mechele caught M'Bala Nzola with a high boot.

Beltran made no mistake, with Fiorentina holding firm to seal their place in the final in Athens on May 29.

Fiorentina lost last season's final to West Ham, and the Serie A club will now face either Olympiacos or Aston Villa.

Data Debrief: Back-to-back finals for Viola

Fiorentina have reached a European final for the sixth time in their history, and the second time in a row, though they have only won one of their previous five attempts.

They have only achieved that feat once before, which was back in 1961 and 1962.

Aston Villa were stunned by Olympiacos as they suffered a 4-2 home defeat in the Europa Conference League.

On what the Villa faithful hoped would be a famous night at Villa Park, they instead saw their team dispatched by their Greek opponents in the first leg of their semi-final encounter.

Ayoub El Kaabi scored a hat-trick for the visitors, who were 2-0 up inside 30 minutes on Thursday.

Ollie Watkins and Moussa Diaby struck either side of the interval to restore parity, but El Kaabi sealed his hat-trick from the penalty spot before Santiago Hezze added further gloss with a sensational finish. To add to Villa's misery, Douglas Luiz then missed a penalty late on.

In the other semi-final tie, Fiorentina took a 3-2 aggregate lead against Club Brugge.

M'Bala Nzola was Fiorentina's hero in stoppage time, scoring in the 91st minute to nudge the Serie A team ahead.

Hans Vanaken had scored from a penalty following a VAR check for handball in the 17th minute, cancelling out Riccardo Sottil's early opener, though Fiorentina restored their lead through Andrea Belotti before half-time in a frantic first half.

Thiago equalised for Brugge, but it was ultimately not enough.

Rangers have confirmed the appointment of Philippe Clement as their new manager.

The 49-year-old arrives at Ibrox following the departure of Michael Beale at the start of the month.

After playing at Genk and Club Brugge, Clement has won the Belgian Pro League as a manager with both teams and had Champions League experience with Brugge.

Scott Parker has been sacked by Club Brugge after just 12 games in charge. 

The club confirmed the news on Wednesday in a brief statement that read: "Scott Parker is no longer head coach of Club Brugge.

"Parker was appointed as Club Brugge's new head coach on December 31, replacing Carl Hoefkens. Before coming to Jan Breydel [Stadium], the former England international was at the helm of teams like Fulham and Bournemouth. Parker won two of his 12 games for Club."

The final straw for the Brugge hierarchy was Tuesday's Champions League humiliation at the hands of Benfica. 

Brugge were convincingly beaten as Benfica ran out comfortable 5-1 winners on the night and 7-1 on aggregate over the two legs of the last-16 tie.

Parker's record of two wins in 12 games has greatly damaged Brugge's hopes of winning another Belgian league crown.

He joined with Brugge in fourth place in the Belgian Pro League and 12 points off the top and leaves with them 21 points from the summit. 

A rampant Benfica eased into the Champions League quarter-finals as Goncalo Ramos' double helped secure a 5-1 second-leg home win over Club Brugge.

Rafa Silva, Joao Mario and David Neres were also on target as Benfica ruthlessly stamped out any hopes of a Brugge comeback with a sparkling display at the Estadio da Luz on Tuesday, sealing a 7-1 aggregate victory.

Scott Parker's side faced a daunting task after suffering a 2-0 defeat in the first leg, and their goal lived a charmed life early on when Joao Mario's flick was disallowed for offside.

Brugge's resistance was broken when Silva's clever footwork gave him the space to nudge into the far corner, before Ramos lashed home a second.

Ramos doubled his tally to make it 3-0 and Joao Mario added a fourth from the penalty spot after Gilberto was felled by Abakar Sylla.

Neres slotted past Simon Mignolet to complete the rout, with Bjorn Meijer's excellent consolation strike the only blemish on Benfica's copybook.

Benfica may no longer be considered as a European heavyweight but that will not stop Roger Schmidt from dreaming of an unlikely Champions League success.

The Benfica coach declared "nothing is impossible" when the question was posed as to the Primeira Liga side's hopes in UEFA's top club competition this season.

Schmidt's men host Club Brugge in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 clash on Tuesday, boasting a 2-0 lead from the first meeting in Belgium.

The first priority for Benfica will be reaching the quarter-finals for a second successive campaign in the competition, having last done so between 1967 and 1969 in the European Cup.

"I think all the teams who are in the knockout stages can win the Champions League but not with the same probability," Schmidt said at Monday's pre-match news conference.

"For the teams with the lowest budget, there's always a small chance. For the big teams, there is a bigger chance. But actually, of course, it's possible."

Benfica have lifted the famous European trophy twice in their history, when they were crowned champions in 1961 and successfully defended the title the following year.

However, no Portuguese side has triumphed in the Champions League since Jose Mourinho's Porto in the 2003-04 campaign.

While eyeing unlikely continental glory, Schmidt says the first challenge will be securing the "big achievement" of making the last eight.

He added: "Nothing is impossible in football at this level, but at the moment we are very focused on reaching the quarter-finals, which would already be, for a club like Benfica, a big achievement. 

"So we have to do it. It's not done, as I said before. So step by step and tomorrow we will try to bring it to the end."

As well as having a two-goal lead in the tie, the omens for the last-16 second leg are in Benfica's favour given they have never lost in 10 previous home games against Belgian sides in all competitions (W8 D2), winning each of the last six in a row.

Victory in Portugal would also mark Benfica's fourth Champions League success in a row, last winning more consecutively in Europe's premier club competition in the 1989-90 campaign (six).

Chelsea must produce another Champions League fightback to avoid being knocked out by Borussia Dortmund and Benfica will be expected to advance to the quarter-finals on Tuesday.

Dortmund start the second leg at Stamford Bridge riding on the crest of a wave following 10 consecutive victories, sitting level on points with Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga after beating RB Leipzig 2-1.

Karim Adeyemi's goal gave Edin Terzic's side a 1-0 win over Chelsea and they have a great record in the competition after winning the first leg of knockout stage ties.

The Blues eased the pressure on head coach Graham Potter by beating Leeds United 1-0 on Saturday and have progressed more often than not after losing a first leg in Europe's premier club competition.

Benfica hold a 2-0 lead over Club Brugge heading into the second leg at Estadio da Luz and Joao Mario will attempt to extend his impressive scoring run in the competition.

Stats Perform pick out the standout Opta data to preview the two matches on Tuesday.

Chelsea v Borussia Dortmund

Dortmund may need the slender advantage they gained in the first leg, given they have lost five consecutive away games against English sides in the Champions League since beating Arsenal 2-1 in October 2013.

Chelsea lost the first leg of a Champions League knockout tie for the eighth time in Dortmund, but on the previous seven occasions that has happened they have gone on to progress four times.

That said, of the previous six ties in which Dortmund have won the first leg they have finished off the job to advance – Paris Saint-Germain being the only team to mount a second-leg fightback and knock them out at this stage in 2020.

The Bundesliga title contenders will be looking to win both legs of a Champions League knockout tie for the first time since the 1996-97 season, when they beat both Auxerre and Manchester United twice en route to lifting the trophy for the only time.

Benfica v Club Brugge

Brugge have it all to do when they face Benfica, who are unbeaten in their 10 previous home games against Belgian sides in the Champions League with eight wins and two draws.

Only one of the 45 teams to have won a first leg away from home in a Champions League knockout tie by at least two goals has failed to make it through, when PSG were dumped out by Manchester United in 2019.

Benfica have won three consecutive games in this competition, their best since reeling off six in a row back in the 1989-90 campaign.

Brugge have not scored in their past four Champions League games, which represents their longest drought in the competition.

They will have to keep a close eye on Joao Mario, who will attempt to become the first player to score in five consecutive games in either the European Cup or Champions League since the great Eusebio netted in seven on the spin between May 1963 and September 1964.

Benfica have one foot in the Champions League quarter-finals after second-half goals from Joao Mario and David Neres saw them beat knockout round debutants Club Brugge 2-0 in Wednesday's last-16 first leg.

Brugge gifted their visitors two huge chances at Jan Breydel Stadium and were duly punished.

Jack Hendry's foul on Goncalo Ramos allowed Joao Mario to score from the spot six minutes after the restart, with Simon Mignolet only able to push the ball in off the crossbar.

Fredrik Aursnes, Antonio Silva and Rafa Silva passed up opportunities in the space of six first-half minutes, but Neres was on hand to ensure their misses did not prove costly when he capitalised on Bjorn Meijer's mistake in the 88th minute.

Scott Parker – the third English manager to take charge of a non-English team in the Champions League, after Bobby Robson and Gary Neville – saw his side have a Denis Odoi goal disallowed for offside before the break.

But Brugge never did enough to test Benfica, who won a third straight game in the competition for the first time since the 2005-06 campaign.

Parker has won just one of his eight games in charge of Brugge, and they face a tough ask in the second leg on March 7 if they are to go and extend their dream run, especially given Benfica are unbeaten at home in all competitions this season.

The second set of Champions League last-16 fixtures to take place this week is full of intrigue, with the continent's biggest-spending club of the January transfer window in need of a result.

Graham Potter's Chelsea forked out an estimated £291million to reshape their squad last month, but the misfiring Blues have won just one of their eight games this calendar year. 

For all his struggles on the domestic front, Potter has yet to suffer a Champions League defeat with Chelsea, and maintaining that record at Borussia Dortmund would give them an excellent chance of reaching the last eight.

Potter is not the only under-fire English boss to take centre stage on Wednesday, with former Fulham and Bournemouth head coach Scott Parker overseeing Club Brugge's clash with Benfica.

With just one win in nine games since the World Cup, Brugge will be considered outsiders against the Lisbon giants, who were outstanding as they finished above Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus in Group H.

Stats Perform has taken a look at the key Opta numbers ahead of Wednesday's first-leg match-ups. 

Borussia Dortmund v Chelsea

Somewhat surprisingly given their statuses as European regulars, Dortmund and Chelsea will do battle for the first time in continental competition on Wednesday.

The omens are not particularly good for either side, as a BVB team without a win in their last 10 European meetings with English opponents (D2 L8) face a Chelsea side with just three victories in 11 previous away games in Germany (D3 L5).

Dortmund's last win over Premier League opponents came against Tottenham in the Europa League in 2016, with current Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netting twice in a 2-1 triumph.

Aubameyang will not be welcomed back by the yellow wall on Wednesday, however, having been left out of Chelsea's Champions League squad following their huge spending spree.

Instead, Germany international Kai Havertz may lead the line as he bids for a first career goal against BVB – his seven appearances without netting against Dortmund are more than he has managed against any other club.

Dortmund, meanwhile, could hand Sebastien Haller his first Champions League appearance for the club following his recovery from testicular cancer. The former Ajax man has more goals in his first eight games in the competition (11) than any other player.

Additionally, Haller has averaged a goal every 61 minutes of Champions League football, the best ratio in the competition's history (minimum 250 minutes played).

Should Chelsea keep Haller quiet en route to victory, Potter would become the first English manager to win five consecutive Champions League matches, with a 1-1 draw against Salzburg in his first game at the helm the only blot on his European record with the Blues.

Club Brugge v Benfica

Two of the group stage's surprise packages meet in Belgium, with Brugge having escaped Group B at the expense of Bayer Leverkusen and Atletico Madrid, while Benfica bested PSG and Juventus.

Brugge boss Parker has struggled since replacing Carl Hoefkens, but he will join an exclusive club on Wednesday as just the third English coach to lead a non-English team in the Champions League, after Bobby Robson (Porto and PSV) and Gary Neville (Valencia).

In Parker and Potter, meanwhile, two different English managers will coach in the same Champions League campaign for the first time in the competition's history.

Benfica are sure to make things difficult for Parker's team. The Portuguese giants are unbeaten in their last seven Champions League games (W4 D3) and are chasing three consecutive wins in the competition for the first time since the 2005-06 campaign.

In the group stage, Benfica generated more shots (14) and scored more goals (five) following high turnovers (open-play sequences starting within 40 metres of the opponent's goal) than any other team, showing their devastating counter-attacking abilities.

Benfica also have the highest conversion rate of any team, netting with 20 per cent of their shots in the Champions League this term (16/80).

Home goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, then, could be in for a busy outing. Fortunately for Brugge, he has prevented more goals than any other goalkeeper in the Champions League this season (6.3) – being beaten four times from 10.3 expected goals on target faced.