The new-look 2026/27 UEFA Champions League got underway on Tuesday night with the first six fixtures of Matchday 1, and if the opening night was anything to go by, this league-phase format is going to produce plenty of drama even before the "big" games arrive. Six matches, nineteen goals, and a handful of statement performances set the tone for a season that runs all the way to a June final in Madrid.
The headline fixture at the Santiago Bernabéu lived up to its billing. José Mourinho, back in Madrid for a second spell in charge, welcomed one of his former clubs and came away with the win — but not without a few nervous moments. Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring in the 14th minute, a goal that pulled him level with Real Madrid great Raúl on 71 Champions League goals, the competition's fifth-highest scorer of all time. Federico Valverde doubled the lead nine minutes later after Inter goalkeeper Josep Martínez was dispossessed attempting to play out from the back.
Inter, to their credit, were the better side for long stretches and had Thibaut Courtois to thank on several occasions, with saves denying Curtis Jones, Lautaro Martínez and Hakan Çalhanoğlu. Substitute Carlos Augusto pulled one back in the 77th minute to set up a nervy finish, but Courtois held firm to seal a winning start for Mourinho against Cristian Chivu's side.
Enzo Maresca's first Champions League match in charge of Manchester City ended in victory, even if the performance raised a few eyebrows. Erling Haaland was wasteful for large periods, with Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa producing a hat-trick of first-half saves to keep the scores level. The Norwegian eventually broke through with a downward header shortly after the restart, then added a second in stoppage time to seal the points — taking his tally to 59 Champions League goals, seventh-most in the competition's history.
Porto pushed hard for an equaliser but couldn't find the quality to trouble City's defence, with 18-year-old debutant Ayyoub Bouaddi impressing in midfield for the visitors.
A five-goal thriller in Dortmund saw the hosts edge a chaotic opener, though the result was overshadowed by an injury scare: teenage star Konstantinos Karetsas was taken to hospital for treatment after collapsing to the turf just 25 minutes into his Champions League debut.
Unai Emery's Aston Villa made a winning start to their Champions League campaign away in Belgium, with the manager saying afterwards that his side had taken "one big step forward" in a five-goal away win at Club Brugge.
Betis came from behind to win in France, with the game also notable for Ethan Mbappé's dismissal as Lille were reduced to ten men.
A narrow but efficient win for AEK Athens in the tightest match of the night, getting their campaign off the mark with a single-goal margin.
Looking ahead:
Matchday 1 continues on Wednesday:
Match | Kick-off Time (CET) |
|---|---|
| FC Barcelona vs. Feyenoord | 17:45 |
| VfB Stuttgart vs. Viking FK | 17:45 |
| Liverpool vs. Atlético de Madrid | 21:00 |
| Paris Saint-Germain vs. Slovan Bratislava | 21:00 |
| Sporting CP vs. Galatasaray | 21:00 |
| Napoli vs. Arsenal | 21:00 |
Matchday 2 doesn't arrive until 13/14 October, giving the 36 competing clubs a month to digest an opening round that already looks set to be one of the most unpredictable league phases yet.