UWCL Round-up: Barcelona, Lyon kick off campaigns with comfortable wins

Defending Champions Barcelona and record eight-time winners Lyon kicked off the group stage with a bang, while Eintracht Frankfurt and Brann both won their first games.

Barcelona 5-0 Benfica

Captain Alexia Putellas set the hosts on their way with a close-range header after Caroline Graham Hansen's shot was deflected into her path, before doubling Barcelona's lead by turning Esmee Brugts' header over the line from close range.

Aitana Bonmatí had made it three before the break and got her second on 52 minutes after a clever pass from Graham Hansen, the creator of several goals, including the spectacular fifth from Asisat Oshoala.

Oshoala produced a close-range overhead kick with her first touch after coming off the bench on the hour mark, having also scored a memorable goal when Barcelona defeated Benfica in the group stage last season.

Rosengård 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt

Frankfurt returned from Sweden with all three points after Tanja Pawollek and Barbara Dunst scored on their debut in the group stage.

Frankfurt dominated from the start, and captain Pawollek's swerving effort on 25 minutes eluded Angel Mukasa, clipping the post on its way in.

Dunst, who scored a round 2 second-leg hat-trick at Sparta Praha, doubled the lead with six minutes remaining.

Rosengård captain Olivia Schough scored in added time to cut the deficit, but the home team, who had previously hit the crossbar through Hanna Andersson, were unable to equalize.

Slavia Praha 0-9 Lyon

Lyon equalled the largest group-stage victory with an impressive performance in Prague.

Sara Däbritz, Danille van de Donk, Vanessa Gilles, Eugénie Le Sommer, and Kadidiatou Diani all scored within the first 24 minutes to put the game out of reach.

Le Sommer's goal was her 48th in this competition, tying her for third all-time, but Ada Hegerberg topped that with a penalty on the hour, becoming the first player in UEFA women's club football to reach 60. Substitutes Amel Majri and Gilles added to the tally.

St. Pölten 1-2 Brann

The first Norwegian side to reach the post-2021 group stage, Brann, marked their debut appearance with victory at St. Pölten.

Not long before the hour, Rachel Engesvik gave the visitors the lead from close range, but Mária Mikolajová's stunning long-range effort brought the Austrian champions level.

However, Brann defender Natasha Anasi, who suffered a serious injury shortly after joining from Breidablik in January and has only recently returned, came off the bench to head the winner with 11 minutes remaining.

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