dpa
Berlin
Juventus eased to a 3-1 home victory over PSV Eindhoven as the revamped Champions League with 36 teams in one big table kicked off on Tuesday.
Champions League debutants Aston Villa also won 3-0 at Young Boys Bern in the other early game thanks to a clever finish from Youri Tielemans, a bizarre goal by Jacob Ramsey and Amadou Onana’s wicked strike.
Birmingham-based Villa, who won the European Cup in its previous form in 1982, had little trouble adjusting to the artificial pitch in Bern and were helped by comical defending for their second goal.
The visitors also had two goals ruled out for handball.
Twice winners Juve may be lacking the household names of yesteryear but they dominated PSV in Turin.
It was no surprise when Turkey’s Kenan Y?ld?z cut inside and curled home a right-foot shot on 21 minutes. The 19-year-old became Juve’s youngest scorer in the competition in his first Champions League game.
Weston McKennie soon made it 2-0 and Nico Gonzalez netted after the break as 1988 champions PSV wilted before Ismael Saibari’s consolation.
Bayern Munich, who stage this season’s final, welcome Dinamo Zagreb among Tuesday’s later kick-offs while AC Milan host Liverpool.
Holders Real Madrid entertain last season’s Bundesliga runners-up VfB Stuttgart, with Sporting taking on Lille.
The new league phase was developed by UEFA to see off the threat from a potential Super League, with Juve one of those who pushed hardest for a breakaway.
Teams will play eight games rather six in the old group system, four clubs at home and four different sides away in the so-called Swiss model.
The league phase now lasts until the end of January.