Stade Brest routs Salzburg 4-0 for 2 wins from first 2 games in Champions League

Stade Brest had never played in the Champions League before this season.

On Tuesday, the French team routed Salzburg 4-0 away for its second win in as many games in Europe’s premier competition.

Senegalese forward Abdallah Sima netted twice to take his tally to three goals in two games after he scored in Brest’s tournament-opening 2-1 win over Austrian champion Sturm Graz.

Mahdi Camara and Mathias Pereira Lage got the other goals, ensuring Salzburg conceded seven goals in its opening two games. Salzburg lost 3-0 at Sparta Prague in its opener.

Kaan Kairinen’s brilliant free kick was enough for Prague to draw 1-1 at Stuttgart in Tuesday’s other early game.

Stuttgart fans displayed a huge choreography saying “Back in Europe” behind one of the goals. It was the team’s first Champions League match at home since a 1-1 draw with Barcelona in February 2010, when Zlatan Ibrahimović scored for the visitors.

The Stuttgart fans didn’t have to wait long Tuesday before Enzo Millot headed in the team’s first real chance in the seventh minute, but Kairinen equalized with a free kick in off the top of the right post in the 32nd.

Stuttgart, which lost its opening game 2-0 at defending champion Real Madrid, needed goalkeeper Alexander Nübel at his best.

Both Manchester City and Barcelona were looking for their first wins in this season’s competition later. City faced a trip to Slovan Bratislava, while Barcelona was hosting Swiss team Young Boys. Arsenal was to host Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund was to welcome Celtic among other games. Celtic fans flew Palestinian and Lebanese flags in the stadium before their team’s game.

This is the first season since the Champions League underwent a major shakeup with four more teams added and the group stage scrapped in favor of a league system with each team playing eight opponents once.

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