MANCHESTER — Manchester City looked far from potential Champions League winners as they fell to a surprise 2-1 loss at home to Olympique Lyonnais on Wednesday with a flat performance leaving them with plenty of work to do to progress from Group F.

The Premier League champions, favorites with some bookmakers to win Europe's top club competition this season, were well below their best throughout and now face a serious challenge to progress from a group which also features Germany's Hoffenheim and Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk.

City manager Pep Guardiola, serving a suspension, was forced to watch the game from the stands as his assistant Mikel Arteta took charge and it was a frustrating night for the pair, whose side have now lost four games in a row in the Champions League.

In contrast to a flat-looking City, Bruno Genesio's Lyon delivered a tactically superb display, defending in numbers to nullify City's normally dangerous forward line and then counter-attacking at pace.

The visitors took the lead in the 26th minute through Maxwel Cornet, who drove home after Fabian Delph made a hash of clearing a Nabil Fekir cross from the left. Gabriel Jesus, City's Brazilian striker, had a strong appeal for a penalty turned down but that was one of the few moments in which he really threatened in the box.

Ilkay Gundogan had an effort disallowed after Italian referee Daniele Orsato ruled that Raheem Sterling was offside but City's frustrations in attack were not their only problems.

Fekir, who was strongly linked with a move to City's Premier League rivals Liverpool in the close season, then made it 2-0 to the French side in the 43rd minute, bursting clear and beating Ederson with a low drive after Fernandinho had given up possession in midfield.

It could even have been 3-0 when Memphis Depay hit the post on the hour after a magnificent through ball from Tanguy Ndombele but after that let-off City earned themselves a lifeline through Bernardo Silva, who produced a smart finish after a superb jinking run from substitute Leroy Sane.

City's attempts to get an equalizer, however, were foiled by a combination of a well-drilled Lyon defense, which kept chances to a minimum, goalkeeper Anthony Lopes, who produced a fine save to deny substitute Sergio Aguero and some poor decision-making from City's forwards.

The defeat was a fourth straight Champions League disappointment for City, who lost both legs of last season's quarter-final against Liverpool and the second leg of their last-16 clash against Basel.

"Really disappointing. To concede two goals like we did is very frustrating," said City defender John Stones. "We came in at halftime a bit deflated. We picked ourselves up and played a better second half but it was frustrating."

Ronaldo sees red as

Juventus beat Valencia

Cristiano Ronaldo's Champions League debut for Juventus lasted only 29 minutes as he was red-carded but the Italians began their Group H campaign impressively with a 2-0 victory at Valencia on Wednesday.

Penalties either side of halftime by Miralem Pjanic sealed the points for the visitors as Valencia's return to European competition after a two-year absence fell flat.

The night was meant to be all about Ronaldo's first Champions League appearance for the club he has tormented down the years for Real Madrid. His first real impression, however, was not what anyone in the Mestalla could have imagined.

After a lively opening half hour the Portuguese forward was involved in a tangle in the penalty area with a Valencia defender. It did not appear too sinister but German referee Felix Brych, after consulting with his assistant, pulled out his red card to the dismay of Ronaldo.

After leaving the pitch the five-times Champions League winner looked close to tears. Juventus had been the better side before that with Joao Cancelo having an effort turned on to the woodwork by Valencia keeper Neto and Sami Khedira also wasted a good chance for the Italian champions.

On the stroke of halftime Daniel Parejo's reckless challenge on Cancelo earned him a booking and gave Pjanic the chance to send 10-man Juventus into the interval ahead.

Five minutes after the break the home crowd fell silent when Jeison Murillo pushed Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci in the back and Brych pointed to the spot again.

Once again Neto guessed right but Pjanic's penalty was placed into the corner. Valencia dominated possession after that but Juventus's well-drilled defence held firm until stoppage time when Brych awarded the third penalty of the game. Parejo stepped up but Wojciech Szczesny saved his spot-kick to sum up the Spanish side's frustrating evening.

Real stroll past Roma to

make convincing start

Real Madrid got their Champions League title defense off to a strong start on Wednesday by convincingly beating AS Roma 3-0 at home with goals from Isco, Gareth Bale and a stoppage-time strike from returning striker Mariano Diaz.

Julen Lopetegui's side, who have won the last three editions of the competition, made a flying start against last season's semifinalists Roma, but took their time to make their dominance count.

Isco, Bale, Sergio Ramos and Dani Carvajal all missed relatively simple chances for the hosts, who were not far from going behind when Turkish youngster Cengiz Under darted in behind the defense but sent his finish flying wide.

It took a wonderfully struck free kick from Isco right at the end of the first half for Real to take a deserved lead, and their dominance continued in the second half. Bale saw a deflected shot bounce off the crossbar shortly after the interval but got the goal he craved not long after, racing on to a raking pass from former Tottenham Hotspur team mate Luka Modric and arrowing in off the post in the 58th minute.

Roma did not completely wilt after conceding again and it took an impressive save from Keylor Navas to deny the lively Under, as the Costa Rican goalkeeper justified his inclusion in the team after briefly losing his place to Thibaut Courtois.

Roma goalkeeper Robin Olsen did his best to keep the scoreline dignified by denying Isco and Marco Asensio but was powerless to stop Mariano.

The striker was playing his first game after returning to Madrid from Olympique Lyonnais and got the crowd on their feet with a wonderful curling strike into the top corner.

Real lead Champions League Group G with three points after Viktoria Plzen blew a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at home to CSKA Moscow, who equalized in the 95th minute with a converted penalty from Croatian striker Nikola Vlasic.

Bayern's Sanches scores, earns

applause on return to Lisbon

Bayern Munich midfielder Renato Sanches made a memorable return to former club Benfica Lisbon, scoring once and helping set up the other goal in the Germans' 2-0 Champions League Group E opening win on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old Benfica youth product, who joined Bayern in 2016 but hardly played before being loaned out to Swansea City last season, earned a rare start due to the injury of Thiago Alcantara.

He made the most of his chance as Bayern cruised to a comfortable victory despite a string of injury absences that also include World Cup winner Corentin Tolisso, Kingsley Coman and Rafinha.

Talented and lightning-quick, Portugal international Sanches emerged as a teenaged sensation following their Euro 2016 victory, but Bayern fans had seen little of his abilities until Wednesday.

The Bundesliga leaders, who have won all their competitive matches so far this season, opened their account after 10 minutes when Sanches sent Franck Ribery down the wing. The Frenchman charged through and Robert Lewandowski completed the move with a fine turn.

Benfica, who have not scored more than once in their last 10 Champions League matches on home soil, had to wait almost half an hour for their own first chance, a header that was deflected wide.

Sanches then picked up where he had left off before the break and with a sensational 40-metre sprint launched a quick Bayern move that he finished off with a tap-in as the entire stadium gave him a standing ovation.

Bayern, who saw midfielder Thomas Mueller become only the third German player to reach 100 Champions League matches, next host Ajax in Munich on Oct. 2.

Tagliafico double guides Ajax

to comfortable win over AEK

Argentine full back Nicolas Tagliafico scored two second-half goals as Ajax Amsterdam marked their return to the Champions League group stages with an emphatic 3-0 victory over AEK Athens on Wednesday. After a goalless first half, Tagliafico netted either side of a strike from Donny van de Beek as Ajax, four-times European champions, cruised to victory.

It was the first time the Dutch club have claimed victory in their opening pool match since 2002, giving them a positive start to their Group E campaign as they return to this stage of the competition for the first time in four years. Ajax had more of the ball in the opening period, though neither side created many clear-cut chances.

Andre Simoes headed wide for the visitors from a corner with the best opportunity, but the home side were much improved after the break.

They forged ahead within a minute of the re-start as a corner was cleared to Brazilian David Neres just outside the box and his ball into the penalty area was volleyed into the net by Argentina international Tagliafico.

He might have had a second when his header was brilliantly stopped by goalkeeper Vasilios Barkas, who thrust out an arm when Tagliafico seemed sure to score.

Ajax substitute Van de Beek had a goal ruled out for offside, but 14 minutes from time he volleyed home a second with an excellent finish.

He was teed up by Serbian midfielder Dusan Tadic, who continued his superb start to the season for the Dutch club with a pinpoint cross. The victory was sealed when Tagliafico netted with a fine 25-yard shot from a tight angle.

Classy Pogba steers Man United

to 3-0 win at Young Boys

Captain Paul Pogba produced an outstanding performance garnished by two goals to help Manchester United to a resounding 3-0 win at Swiss debutants Young Boys Bern in their Champions League Group H opener on Wednesday.

Pogba bossed midfield on the artificial pitch and fired United ahead in the 35th minute with a goal of the highest quality, drilling a left-foot shot into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area after side-stepping his marker.

The France World Cup winner made it 2-0 with a contentious 44th-minute penalty, harshly awarded by German referee Deniz Aytekin after Luke Shaw's cross struck Kevin Mbabu's arm as the defender tried to avoid contact.

A darting run by Pogba midway through the second half released Anthony Martial and the forward scored with a clinical finish from eight meters after his compatriot's good work left him with time and space to find the back of the net.

Roared on by a vocal home crowd, Young Boys charged at United in the opening 30 minutes, forcing two saves by David De Gea as the Spain goalkeeper kept out long-range efforts from Mohamed Ali Camara and Christian Fassnacht.

United's defense looked vulnerable on either flank to the home team's breakaways, although 19-year-old Portuguese right back Diogo Dalot showed pace going forward on his debut for the Premier League side.

After Marcus Rashford clipped the outside of the post with a flicked shot in the 22nd minute, United's nerves were settled when Pogba broke the deadlock out of nothing thanks to a piece of sublime individual skill.

Young Boys' hopes of a comeback evaporated after Pogba confidently converted the penalty and Martial, enjoying a rare start up front, made no mistake at the near post as United maintained cruise control in the second half. — Reuters