The Champions League's debut week concluded on a dramatic note, with Barcelona and Arsenal taking center stage on Thursday. However, neither of the headline-grabbing clubs secured a victory to kick off their campaigns. Here's a recap of the key moments from Thursday's encounters.

Barcelona faced a challenging opening match against AS Monaco, which resulted in a disappointing loss for the Blaugrana. An early red card for Eric García, who fouled Takumi Minamino, put Barcelona on the back foot. Despite being a man down, Barcelona managed to equalize through Lamine Yamal, who scored a brilliant goal, but it was George Ilenikhena's winner for Monaco that ultimately sealed the deal for the home team.

Arsenal, on the other hand, relied on the heroics of goalkeeper David Raya to salvage a draw against Atalanta. Raya's remarkable saves, especially during a penalty shootout, kept Arsenal in the game and ensured they left with a point.

Florian Wirtz made a name for himself in the Champions League, scoring twice in his debut and leading Bayer Leverkusen to a resounding victory over Feyenoord. His performance added to the list of impressive goal-scoring feats by German players in the competition this week.

The new Champions League format, inspired by a Swiss Model, has been met with mixed reactions. While it promises more matches between top teams early in the tournament, some fans have expressed dissatisfaction with the perceived imbalance in team matchups and the potential for overworking players.

As the group stage unfolds, it will be interesting to see how the new format affects the competition dynamics and whether fans will warm to the changes. The next matchday on October 1st will bring fresh matchups, including the highly anticipated clash between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain, which is sure to capture the attention of football enthusiasts worldwide.