Bruges, Belgium: English football champions Leicester City marked their first-ever Champions League game with a convincing 3-0 victory against Club Brugge in Group G.
Marc Albrighton gave the English Premier League champions the perfect start early on with a neat close-range finish after Brugge failed to deal with a long Luis Hernandez throw here on Wednesday.
The visitors doubled their lead through Riyad Mahrez’s stunning free-kick just before the half-hour mark.
The Leicester playmaker made it 3-0 with a second-half spot kick after Jamie Vardy had been brought down by home goalkeeper Ludovic Butelle.
Jose Izquierdo hit the post for the hosts as they tried and failed to force their way back into the match.
Meanwhile, Lyon showed their depth in their squad as they opened their campaign with a 3-0 victory, hosting Group H opponents Dinamo Zagreb at the Parc OL.
Missing five key players, including top striker Alexandre Lacazette, Lyon on Wednesday claimed the convincing win employing a squad packed with home-grown footballers, reports Xinhua.
Maxwel Cornet tested Adrian Semper with a close-range flick after just 10 minutes into the match, before Corentin Tolisso struck, sending a powerful header into the net from Rafael’s cross three minutes later.
Jordan Ferri made it 2-0 on 49 minutes after bursting forward to clip a delicious shot over Semper and into the far corner.
And eight minutes later, Cornet raced onto a measured Tolisso pass to prod home Lyon’s third.
Zagreb struck the woodwork twice in the 61st and 87th minute, but Rachid Ghezzal would have given Lyon a plumper cushion had Semper not smartly parried his angled drive at 81.
Lyon, who lost all three home group-stage games last season, will go to Spain to face La Liga side Sevilla on September 27.
