Champions League returns! Running analysis of Matchday 1

The 2026-27 Champions League campaign is underway in earnest, with the league phase kicking off Tuesday. Our soccer writers share their observations and insights throughout Matchday 1, which runs until Thursday.

Super John McGinn

It's time to sing the John McGinn song.

Aston Villa's captain delivered the opening goal of the league phase in this season's Champions League, bending home a first-time effort against Club Brugge from the corner of the penalty area in the 11th minute of play.

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McGinn is now Aston Villa's all-time top scorer in major European competitions. His 12th such goal surpassed Ollie Watkins' mark of 11.

Who's winning it all?

The UEFA Champions League officially returns Tuesday with the beginning of a league phase featuring heavyweight clashes from start to finish.

Matchday 1 alone will see several of Europe's top sides locking horns.

• Real Madrid vs. Inter (Tuesday)
• Napoli vs. Arsenal (Wednesday)
• Liverpool vs. Atletico (Wednesday)

The main question, of course, is who's taking home Ol' Big Ears.

Can Paris Saint-Germain complete a historic three-peat? Will 15-time winners Real Madrid, now under Jose Mourinho's watch, reign supreme as Kings of Europe again? Is this finally Arsenal's year? Will Vincent Kompany lead Bayern Munich to glory?

Our soccer writers offered their predictions for this season's European champion, the tournament's biggest surprises, and much more. Spoiler: We aren't as high on PSG this year.

👉 Check out our full staff picks here

Tournament odds

Two-time reigning champions PSG are the favorites to hoist the trophy once again despite some key offseason squad changes and a sloppy start to their Ligue 1 campaign, which has begun with three winless matches.

Arsenal, last season's beaten finalists who are looking to win the Champions League for the first time in club history, are considered the nearest challengers alongside Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and Real Madrid.

⚽️ Bet on the Champions League with theScore Bet here

Key dates to know

This season's Champions League is the 72nd edition of Europe's elite club competition. The league phase, which features 36 teams, concludes Jan. 27, when all 18 matches will be played at the same time.

Matchday 1: Sept. 8-10
Matchday 2: Oct. 13-14
Matchday 3: Oct. 20-21
Matchday 4: Nov. 3-4
Matchday 5: Nov. 24-25
Matchday 6: Dec. 8-9
Matchday 7: Jan. 19-20
Matchday 8: Jan. 27

After the final round of league-phase matches, the top eight teams in the table automatically advance to the round of 16. The clubs that finish ninth through 24th head to the knockout playoff round, where they're paired off to play two-legged ties to determine who else advances to the last 16.

👉 Full schedule for every team

The teams that finish 25th or lower in the league phase are eliminated from the competition and, unlike under the old tournament format, don't get parachuted into the Europa League.

KO playoffs: Feb. 16-17 and Feb. 23-24
Round of 16: March 9-10 and March 16-17
Quarterfinals: April 6-7 and April 13-14
Semifinals: April 27-28 and May 4-5
Final: June 5

This season's Champions League final will take place at the Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain.

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