UEFA Champions League Matchday 1 Preview: Real Madrid vs. Inter Headlines Week

The 2026-27 edition of the UEFA Champions Leagues has finally arrived, and it’s arriving in style. Thanks to the revised, revamped format that incorporates teams from Pot 1 and Pot 2 playing each other, the tournament offers some marquee matches right out of the gate. 

The tournament also starts as various teams are beginning to find their way in their respective top-flight leagues. For the best, there’s not a lot of surprising early-season results in there, though you do have to squint a bit and look down the Bundesliga table to find Bayern Munich in sixth. 

But atop the Premier League, you have Arsenal and Manchester City in what could once again be a two-horse race (with newly-promoted Hull hovering in third), and despite Real Madrid suffering its first loss of the season on Friday (to a solid Real Betis team in the Champions League mix, it once again looks to be a battle that will largely hinge on the two El Clásico results. 

Here’s how the first slate of Champions League matches shapes up, with all the matches available on Paramount+.

UEFA Champions League Matchday 1 Tuesday Schedule

• Club Brugge vs. Aston Villa – 12:45 p.m.
• AEK vs. LASK – 12:45 p.m.
• Porto vs. Manchester City – 3:00 p.m.
• Real Madrid vs. Inter – 3:00 p.m.
• Borussia Dortmund vs. Villarreal – 3:00 p.m.
• LOSC vs. Real Betis – 3:00 p.m.
  

The match with the most eyes on it on opening day will most likely be Real Madrid vs. Inter, and for good reason. Much of the intrigue heading into the season swirls around Jose Mourinho’s return to the club and whether he’ll have longevity at the club he managed (with some controversy) from 2010 to 2013 — with six stops in between that first exit and the return to Los Blancos. 

Of course, Madrid’s summer saga also had Vinícius Júnior, who reportedly flirted with a move to Arsenal before committing long-term to the team he’s become a global icon on. This matchup also features central figures in the summer’s World Cup who are present in their leagues’ Golden Boot races: Real Madrid’s French force, Kylian Mbappé, who has four goals in four games, and Inter’s Argentine striker Lautaro Martínez, good for a pair of goals in this early stage of the season. 

Don’t sleep on Porto hosting Manchester City, though — even though City comes into this match loaded, Porto’s only lost one of its last 14 home games played against any European opposition, and is a perfect five-for-five in league play so far. However, Erling Haaland is back to his goal-a-game pace through the first three matches of the Premier League season. 

UEFA Champions League Matchday 1 Wednesday Schedule

• Barcelona vs. Feyenoord – 12:45 p.m.
• VfB Stuttgart vs. Viking – 12:45 p.m.
• Napoli vs. Arsenal – 3:00 p.m.
• Liverpool vs. Atlético Madrid – 3:00 p.m.
• PSG vs. Slovan Bratislava – 3:00 p.m.
• Sporting CP vs. Galatasaray – 3:00 p.m.

While Napoli’s potentially headed for a down year in Serie A — currently 11th place, with Scott McTominay to undergo a minor heart surgery to correct an arrhythmia issue — they’ll still provide an opening-round test for last season’s Premier League winners and UCL runners-up. Arsenal looks like a strong bet to repeat as England top-flight champs winning its first three, and despite striking out on bringing in big-name players, they got good complementary players to add to a strong core led by Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka. 

One of those players Arsenal reportedly sought, Bradley Barcola, joined Liverpool, and in an interesting opening-round matchup, face an Atléti team that fended off interest in Julián Álvarez and added Juventus and Canada striker Jonathan David at the deadline. It wouldn’t be surprising to see these teams finish third in their respective domestic leagues by season’s end — this matchup provides a chance for the winner to make a statement, though a draw certainly isn’t out of the question. 

UEFA Champions League Matchday 1 Thursday Schedule

• Fenerbahçe vs. Roma – 12:45 p.m.
• PSV vs. Shakhtar Donetsk – 12:45 p.m.
• Bayern München vs. Bodø/Glimt – 3:00 p.m.
• Slavia Praha vs. Lens – 3:00 p.m.
• Como vs. RB Leipzig – 3:00 p.m.
• Manchester United vs. Sabah – 3:00 p.m.

Last season, Bodø/Glimt were the surprise sensations of the tournament, beating Man City in a first-phase match and knocking off Inter Milan en route to the Round of 16. It’ll be a test for Bayern to open things up, though not the test it would be if they had to travel to Bodø, which sits north of the Arctic Circle. 

Thursday’s action kicks off with Fenerbahçe vs. Roma, pitting one of Istanbul’s big three teams against a Roma team currently atop Serie A, thanks in part to Netherlands striker Donyell Malen leading the league’s Golden Boot race with five goals in three matches. Fenerbahçe will be missing the feisty Matteo Guendouzi for this one, as he’s on a four-match suspension resulting from his role in a conflict in August’s qualifier against Lyon. 

UEFA Champions League Matchday 1 Best Bet, Predictions

Real Madrid vs. Inter Best Bet

The firepower present on both teams — especially for Real, which has hit the four-goal mark in two matches this season — could make this a high-scoring contest. Getting to the four-goal mark within 90 minutes seems a reasonable prospect, and predicting individual anytime goal scorers also opens up some parlay possibilities. 

Best Bet: RMA/INT O3.5 (+105)

Napoli vs. Arsenal Best Bet

Arsenal are coming off an inspired win over Chelsea, with the additions to Mikel Arteta’s side looking like firm welds just three matches in. Despite the challenges of going on the road, and the looming presence of Kevin De Bruyne (who seems primed to make his first start for Napoli this season), Arsenal’s ascendant form and Napoli’s two-match losing streak have to figure into the calculations. 

Best Bet: Arsenal ML (-130)

Fenerbahce vs. Roma Best Bet

Oddsmakers like both teams to score in this Istanbul opener, and Malen’s been fantastic for I Lupi so far this season, most notably with a hat trick against Fiorentina. The hosts are coming off a loss to rivals Beşiktaş on Saturday, and though the outcome’s in some question, Malen should find joy in what might be Thursday’s best (or at least most entertaining) match for neutrals. 

Best Bet: Donyell Malen Anytime Goal (+125)

Photo Credit: REUTERS