Welbeck’s hat-trick drives Arsenal home

Arsenal ignited their Champions League campaign with a 4-1 thrashing of a feeble Galatasaray side with Danny Welbeck grabbing a hat-trick in a largely one-sided Group D clash in north London.

Galatasaray had never won in nine previous visits to England, and once Welbeck had punished them twice in the first half-hour their resistance crumbled, with Alexis Sanchez ending the match as a contest with Arsenal’s third goal before half-time.

After their opening-night loss to Borussia Dortmund, victory lifted Arsenal into second place behind the German club with three points. Galatasaray and Anderlecht have one point apiece.

Elsewhere, Karim Benzema came off the bench to score 13 minutes from time and give holders Real Madrid a patchy 2-1 win at resilient Ludogorets.

Real moved on to six points from two games when Benzema finished off a precise left-wing cross by Marcelo.

Swiss champions FC Basel claimed another English Premier League scalp when they deservedly beat a sloppy Liverpool 1-0 with a Marco Streller goal.

The Basel captain turned the ball in from close range after goalkeeper Simon Mignolet saved a goal-bound header seven minutes into the second half as the Swiss pulled off another European upset.

Results:

Atletico Madrid 1 – 0 Juventus
Malmo 2 – 0 Olympiakos Piraeus
Basel 1 – 0 Liverpool
Ludogorets 1 – 2 Real Madrid
Bayer Leverkusen 3 – 1 Benfica
Zenit St Petersburg 0 – 0 Monaco
Anderlecht 0 – 3 Borussia Dortmund
Arsenal 4 – 1 Galatasaray