Champions League Matchday 1 Preview: September 8 Matches
The long-awaited start of the new Champions League campaign is almost here! Let’s take a closer look at the matches on the opening day. The headline fixture is Real Madrid vs Inter at the Santiago Bernabeu, but the other games also offer plenty of intrigue.
AEK Athens vs LASK
Our first stop is Athens. AEK, back in the Champions League for the first time since 2018, host LASK, who are making their tournament debut. The Greek champions are in excellent form and are unbeaten in their last five matches. The same can be said of the Austrian side, who are on a four-game winning streak with an aggregate score of 17:3. That impressive run, incidentally, began with a remarkable comeback in the qualifier against Celtic (5:1). AEK have won 7 of their last 8 home matches, while LASK have won 6 of their last 7 away games. The numbers are impressive, but one of these sides will have to come off its winning path.
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Club Brugge vs Aston Villa
We move to Belgium, where two teams going through a rebuilding process meet at the Jan Breydel Stadium. Club Brugge and Aston Villa lost a considerable number of important players during the summer transfer window. That applies more to the Birmingham side, however, as they have started the season with three matches without a win and without scoring a single goal. Given that the Belgian champions have won 8 of their last 9 home games, Unai Emery’s men are likely to find it difficult to end their poor run.
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Borussia Dortmund vs Villarreal
Two teams in contrasting form meet in Dortmund. Borussia responded to a 1:2 defeat by Bayern in the German Super Cup by winning three matches in a row, while Villarreal are still searching for their first victory of the new season. It is also worth remembering that the Yellow Submarine were one of the worst teams in the previous Champions League campaign, finishing the league phase with just one point. The La Liga side are on a run of six consecutive defeats in Europe’s premier club competition and have failed to score in their last four matches. On that evidence, success in Dortmund looks difficult, although the hosts’ personnel problems could change the picture. With Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini, Can and Konstantelias unavailable, Niko Kovac will have plenty to think about when selecting his line-up.
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Borussia Dortmund vs Villarreal
Lille vs Real Betis
Perhaps the most evenly matched pairing of the entire opening day. Lille have made such a lively start under new coach Davide Ancelotti that they are already among the Ligue 1 leaders. Betis will not be intimidated by that, though: Manuel Pellegrini’s side are in La Liga’s top four and beat Real Madrid 1:0 last weekend. The Green-and-Whites have scored in 14 consecutive competitive matches, although they regularly concede away from home, doing so in 10 of their last 11 away fixtures. That gives us every reason to expect an open contest with goals at both ends.
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Porto vs Manchester City
Portuguese champions Porto host Manchester City at the Dragao. The Dragons have won every match this season and conceded just one goal in six games. Admittedly, they have not faced a truly serious test yet. City also returned to winning ways after their 0:3 Super Cup defeat by Arsenal, but their usual solidity has not been evident. The Sky Blues have also lost 6 of their last 9 away Champions League matches, while Porto are unbeaten at home in 21 consecutive games across all competitions. Is that not reason enough to consider the possibility of an upset?
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Real Madrid vs Inter
And here is the headline fixture of the day! Jose Mourinho faces an Inter side that remains particularly close to his heart. The match is critically important for the Special One for another reason as well: Real Madrid’s demanding supporters will not accept a second consecutive setback from their team. A split could begin to develop in an already fragile dressing room. Interestingly, the Nerazzurri also came close to dropping points in their latest domestic league match, but completed a comeback against Napoli (3:2) thanks to a Lautaro Martinez brace. Since 2020, the teams have met four times in the Champions League, with Inter losing all four matches and failing to score in three of them. This time, however, they seem to have every chance of finding a way past Thibaut Courtois.
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Conclusion
The less high-profile teams are first into action, but we are convinced that the matches in Greece and Belgium deserve attention. Games like these can often be even more interesting and eventful than fixtures involving the biggest clubs. So do not miss them. We recommend focusing on those matches before switching to the second time slot, where most of the attention will be on the battle at the Santiago Bernabeu. The big question is whether Real Madrid are really as strong a favourite as the bookmakers suggest.
FAQ
When does the 2026/27 Champions League begin?
The first Champions League matches of the 2026/27 season will be played on September 8.
What is the marquee match on the first day of the 2026/27 Champions League?
Tuesday's headline game is Real Madrid vs Inter at the Santiago Bernabeu. It will also be fascinating to see whether the revamped Manchester City can handle Portuguese champions Porto.
