UCL Matchday 1: Madrid v Inter, Liverpool v Atletico Lead Opening Fixtures

The UEFA Champions League returns this week with a strong list of fixtures as the 2026/2027 season officially gets underway from September 8 to 10.

The biggest match on Tuesday, September 8, will be played at the Santiago Bernabéu, where record winners Real Madrid will host Italian Giants Inter Milan. Real Madrid will be looking to make a strong start to their campaign against an experienced Inter side.

Manchester City will also begin their campaign away from home when they travel to Portugal to face FC Porto. Other Tuesday fixtures include Lille against Real Betis, Borussia Dortmund versus Villarreal, Club Brugge against Aston Villa, and AEK Athens against LASK.

Wednesday’s matches will see several top European clubs in action. Barcelona will welcome Feyenoord, while Liverpool will face Atletico Madrid in another highly anticipated game. Napoli will host Arsenal, with both sides expected to compete strongly in the tournament.

Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain will begin their title defence against Slovan Bratislava. Sporting CP will also meet Galatasaray, while Stuttgart will face Viking.

The final matches of the opening round will be played on Thursday. Manchester United will take on Sabah, Bayern Munich will face Bodo/Glimt, and Como will meet RB Leipzig. Fenerbahçe will play AS Roma, while PSV face Shakhtar Donetsk. Slavia Praha will also meet Lens.

PSG, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Arsenal are among the clubs tipped as favourites for the title.

With several European giants starting their campaigns this week, fans can expect three days of competitive football as the race for Champions League glory begins.