A Manchester City star says overworked players are close to going on strike, as Harry Kane breaks an English goalscoring record and Liverpool wins in Milan amid tragic circumstances for a fan.

Here are your five quick hits from the opening match day of the UEFA Champions League.

1. Liverpool wins after a fan dies in tragic circumstances

A Liverpool fan who travelled to Italy to watch the Champions League game against AC Milan has died following a road traffic accident, the Premier League club said.

Philip Dooley, who was described as a lifelong Liverpool supporter, was involved in an accident near Bergamo airport in the early hours of the morning.

Representatives from both teams placed flowers on Dooley’s seat at San Siro before kick-off, while Liverpool coach Arne Slot and his players wore black armbands as a mark of respect.

“The thoughts and prayers of everyone connected to the club are with Philip’s family, friends and fellow supporters at this extremely difficult time,” Liverpool said in a statement.

The Reds rebounded from a disappointing loss to Nottingham Forest at the weekend to record a 3-1 win against Milan despite going behind early.

Christian Pulisic got the hosts off to a flyer with a goal in the third minute before Liverpool responded through strikes from Ibrahima Konaté, Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai.

2. Harry Kane breaks an English record in Bayern’s rout

Harry Kane broke Wayne Rooney’s record for the most Champions League goals by an English player when the Bayern Munich striker scored four times against Dinamo Zagreb.

It was one of several records broken as Bayern routed Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 in one of the highest-scoring games in Champions League history — and an emphatic start to European competition for new coach Vincent Kompany.

“Amazing game, a bit of a crazy game for sure,” Kane told broadcaster DAZN. “To score all those goals in the end was a great night.”

Kane took his tally to 33 in the competition by scoring in the 19th, 53rd, 73rd and 78th minutes — three of the goals were penalties — to surpass Rooney’s record of 30.

“To be honest, after the second [penalty] I didn’t really know what to do with the third one, but thankfully I was able to put it away,” Kane said.

Kane opened the scoring from the penalty spot to give Bayern the lead over the Croatian club after his teammate Aleksandar Pavlović was fouled by Ronaël Pierre-Gabriel.

That drew Kane level with Rooney’s record of 30, and he scored his 31st on a rebound after goalkeeper Ivan Nevistić parried Joshua Kimmich’s shot in the 57th.

Kane scored two more from the penalty spot to extend his record.

3. Kylian Mbappé scores as Madrid is tested in title defence

Kylian Mbappé scored his first Champions League goal with Real Madrid as he resumed his quest to win a European title.

Mbappé found the open net after a cross by Rodrigo just seconds into the second half of Madrid’s game against Stuttgart at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

The goal gave Madrid a 1-0 lead but Stuttgart equalised with Deniz Undav in the 68th.

Mbappé had been mostly quiet until then, with one of his clearest chances coming in the 25th minute after he entered the area and had his low shot saved by the goalkeeper. He was free inside the area a couple of minutes later, but Federico Valverde’s low cross to the France star was intercepted by a defender.

Mbappé won the 2018 World Cup with France but failed to win the Champions League in the six seasons he stayed with Paris Saint-Germain, which was also on a quest for its first title in Europe’s top club competition.

The playmaker left PSG as a free agent at the end of last season to join Madrid following a decade-long pursuit by the Spanish powerhouse — a move that could boost his chances of lifting the European trophy with the team that has won the Champions League six times in the last 11 years.

Mbappé reached the semifinals of the club competition in 2017 with Monaco and was a beaten finalist in 2020 with PSG. He was also in the semifinals with PSG in 2021 and last season.

The Frenchman was joined on the scoresheet by Antonio Rüdiger and Endrick as the reigning champions ran out 3-1 winners.

4. Manchester City star says overworked players are considering striking

Manchester City midfielder Rodri says top soccer players are close to going on strike because of the number of games they are having to play.

The Spain international said players are concerned about the way the game is headed as more games are added to the calendar in competitions like the Champions League, which starts on Tuesday.

Rodri was asked if players might start refusing to play because of the calendar.

“I think we are close to that,” he said in a news conference ahead of City’s Champions League opener against Inter Milan on Thursday morning AEST. “It’s easy to understand. You ask any player, he will say the same — it’s not the opinion of [just] Rodri or whoever. I think it’s a general opinion of the players.

“If it keeps this way, it will be a moment when we have no other option, I really think. It’s something that worries us because we are the guys who suffer.”

Rodri is expected to start his first game for City this season when Inter visits Etihad Stadium, having been given an extended break by the club after winning the European Championship with Spain in July.

5. Villa honours club legend in style in Champions League return

Aston Villa did it for Gary Shaw, and in some style.

Villa returned to top-tier European competition after 41 years away with a 3-0 win over Swiss club Young Boys. It was a day after the death of club great Shaw, a forward who won the 1982 European Cup with Villa.

Villa’s players wore black armbands to remember Shaw and coach Unai Emery had said before the Champions League game in Switzerland that any win would be dedicated to Shaw.

“We have a memory always, in our training ground a picture of 1982 and the European Cup, he was a protagonist of that,” Emery said Monday. “Yes, I think it’s sad and we can use it as motivation.”

Shaw was only 21 and a rising star of English soccer when he won the European Cup but his career never recovered from a serious knee injury a year later. He died on Monday at the age of 63.

The Birmingham club had not played in Europe’s premier competition since the 1982-83 season, when it lost in the quarterfinals to Juventus in March 1983 while trying to defend the trophy it won the season before.

AP

It’s the trend that has dominated football Twitter over the past few weeks and got fans from all over reminiscing on iconic moments from Premier League history.

Inspired by the Cultras Football Podcast, the rise of the #Barclaysmen has seen supporters celebrating several former top flight footballers, alongside moments of heritage from the Premier League.

In short, it is a nostalgic look at English football and one that has spread, with fans sharing short highlight clips from a player’s career, usually accompanied by a famous indie tune from the 2000s.

Those stars who have been celebrated are not necessarily the usual icons associated with the Premier League, but the ‘streets won’t forget’ footballers who became cult heroes over their years of service – and even clubs have started to get involved.

Following the rise of the #Barclaysmen, Mail Sport has ranked our top 10 #Barclaysmen compilations on social media.

John Carew 

Carew was a Norwegian striker who became a cult figure as he represented Aston Villa, Stoke City and West Ham between 2007 and 2012.

The 45-year-old was a crucial member of Martin O’Neill’s Villa side as they battled for Champions League qualification and the compilation enabled fans to reminisce on his powerful finishing and entertaining celebrations.

Carew retired in 2013 and has since attempted to launch an acting career, although he was jailed for 14 months for tax evasion in 2022.

Stiliyan Petrov

Another former Aston Villa player to get on our list, Petrov was a classy Bulgarian midfielder who became a fan favourite at Villa Park after making more than 200 appearances for the club.

Petrov, who was generally a defensively minded midfielder, became club captain and had a penchant for scoring a screamer.

The 45-year-old was heartbreakingly forced to retire from football in 2013 after he was diagnosed with acute leukaemia, but he remains extremely popular at Villa, where he was inducted in their Hall of Fame.

Jay-Jay Okocha

One of the most talented players to ever play in the Premier League and voted as the greatest to have played for Bolton at their stadium, Jay-Jay Okocha became a cult hero in the early 2000s.

The Nigerian dazzled for Sam Allardyce’s side as they qualified for the UEFA Cup and his popularity saw shirts be printed with the inscription – ‘Jay-Jay – so good they named him twice’.

Okocha was a much-loved figure in the Premier League and even won the Player of the Month award in November 2003, with the attacking midfielder a typical #Barclaysmen.  

Rory Delap

Delap found his career at a crossroads at the age of 30 when he joined Stoke in 2006, but it proved to be a transformative move as the midfielder-cum-right back developed into a Premier League icon.

It was at Stoke that Delap’s inate talent for a long throw-in was discovered, with the Irishman’s skills helping to transform Tony Pulis’ team and his own career.

So effective did Delap’s throw-ins become during the early years of Stoke’s time in the Premier League, that he assisted seven of their first 13 top flight goals and his success even led to teams kicking the ball out for a corner instead of conceding a throw-in.

Steven Pienaar 

Pienaar became another recognisable Premier League figure over two spells at Everton, along with stints at Tottenham and Sunderland.

The South African was a crucial part of Everton teams under both David Moyes and Roberto Martinez and the silky winger remains popular among the Goodison Park faithful.

Pienaar was not known to score many, but when he did it was usually a cracker, with several of these strikes on full display in his compilation.

Sebastian Larsson

It’s said you can’t have a ‘wand of a right foot’, but if you can, Larsson definitely had one.

Over 14 years in the English game with Arsenal, Birmingham, Sunderland and Hull City, the Swede was known for scoring several long-range screamers, while also being a reliable presence in midfield.

The sight of Larsson stood over a free kick was normally a worrying one for opposition, with the Swede joint-fourth on the list of free kick goals in Premier League history with 11, adding to his cult status.

Youri Djorkaeff

Like his former Bolton team-mate Jay-Jay Okocha, Djorkaeff was not the sort of player you expected to see turning up at the Reebok Stadium.

But, as with Okocha, the Frenchman was brilliant despite being in the twilight of his career, scoring 20 goals across two-and-a-half seasons with the club.

Like many on this list, Djorkaeff – who won the World Cup with France in 1998 – had a penchant for scoring a worldie and his cult status was only added to by the fact he wore the No 6 shirt even though he was a forward.

Morten Gamst Pedersen 

A #Barclaysmen who certainly had a wand of a left foot, Pedersen is up there with Blackburn’s most iconic figures in the 2000s after nine glittering years of service.

The Norwegian scored several stunning efforts over the years, with a brace during a 2-1 victory against Man United at Old Trafford a particularly happy memory for Rovers fans.

Pedersen’s occasional ‘s***housery’, which is on display during his compilation, further endeared him to Blackburn supporters, ensuring he will always remain a popular figure at Ewood Park. 

Elano

Back when things weren’t as rosy at Manchester City, the introduction of a classy Brazilian playmaker, who had an eye for a screamer, felt transformative for fans.

Elano shone in the 2007-08 campaign under Sven-Goran Eriksson and was in particularly electric form at the start of his time with City.

He unfortunately faded in his second season and swiftly moved to Galatasaray, but Elano remains much-loved among City fans for his impact during an otherwise insignificant and difficult time for the club. 

Geovanni

There’s nothing quite like reminiscing about Geovanni’s form for Hull City during the first half of the 2008-09 Premier League season.

After one year at Man City, the Brazilian midfielder moved to the newly promoted club and scored five goals – most of which were stunning efforts – in his first few months as Hull raced out of the blocks.

One particular strike at Arsenal lives long in the memory and although his form dipped, Geovanni is still well remembered on Humberside, evidenced by Hull’s official account compiling the #Barclaysmen clips of the Brazilian.