Home of football statistics and historyThe 2025/26 Champions League takes centre stage this week with the first round of fixtures scheduled to take place over the next three days.
With the qualifiers now completed, sports bettors can switch their focus to the league phase and many of them will be exploring offers like a bet365 bonus to boost their bankroll.
Liverpool and Barcelona are the 6/1 joint favourites to lift the trophy while reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain can be backed at 13/2 to retain the title.
However, the value bet could be Real Madrid at 8/1. The La Liga giants have won the competition on 15 previous occasions and are generally tough to beat.
Read on as we look at the Matchday 1 fixtures, before identifying some of the standout games worth watching this week.
Champions League 2025/26 – Matchday 1 fixtures
Tuesday, September 16
- Athletic Bilbao vs Arsenal
- PSV Eindhoven vs Union Saint-Gilloise
- Juventus vs Borussia Dortmund
- Real Madrid vs Marseille
- Benfica vs Qarabag
- Tottenham Hotspur vs Villarreal
Wednesday, September 17
- Olympiacos vs Pafos FC
- Slavia Prague vs Bodo/Glimt
- Ajax vs Inter Milan
- Bayern Munich vs Chelsea
- Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid
- Paris Saint-Germain vs Atalanta
Thursday, September 18
- Club Brugge vs Monaco
- FC Copenhagen vs Bayer Leverkusen
- Eintracht Frankfurt vs Galatasaray
- Manchester City vs Napoli
- Newcastle United vs Barcelona
- Sporting CP vs Kairat Almaty
Champions League 2025/26 – Matchday 1 top games
Juventus vs Borussia Dortmund
Juventus and Borussia Dortmund go head-to-head in the opening round of fixtures in a repeat of the 1996/97 Champions League final.
This is the first match between the two clubs since the 2014/15 Champions League round of 16, when Juventus triumphed 5-1 on aggregate.
Juve have won six of their nine previous games against Dortmund and will fancy their chances of enhancing that record after making a strong start to the season.
Dortmund have won only one of their last seven matches away to Italian teams (D1, L5) – a record which suggests they will have their work cut out in Turin.
Real Madrid vs Marseille
Real Madrid will start their latest Champions League campaign as one of the bookmakers’ favourites to lift the trophy for a record-extending 16th time.
Madrid have won all four previous matches between the teams and have only been defeated once on home soil against French opposition (W12, D4).
Los Blancos were eliminated by Arsenal in the quarter-finals last season and will be desperate to set the record straight this time around.
Madrid have won on Matchday 1 in 16 of their last 18 campaigns (L2) and are a banker bet to record a comfortable victory over Marseille.
Bayern Munich vs Chelsea
Club World Cup winners Chelsea face a tough test in their opening Champions League against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.
The teams’ most recent meeting was in 2019/20, when Bayern romped to a 7-1 aggregate success on their way to lifting the prestigious trophy.
Bayern have won eight of their last ten home matches against English teams (D1, L1) and will expect to enhance that record on Wednesday.
However, Chelsea have lost only two of their last 11 Champions League opening stage matches against Bundesliga clubs (W7, D2) and could make life tough for Bayern.
Manchester City vs Napoli
Manchester City are hosting a Serie A team on Matchday 1 for the second consecutive year, having drawn 0-0 against Inter Milan in 2024/25.
City have featured in every Champions League campaign since 2011/12 and have reached the knockout stage in each of the last 12.
The were defeated by Madrid in the knockout round play-offs last season and will be eager to perform much better this term.
Napoli are without a win in their ten away matches against English teams (D3, L7), but could be tricky opponents if City fail to produce their best form.
Newcastle United vs Barcelona
Newcastle United’s fifth place finish in the Premier League secured Champions League qualification and they will be keen to show they deserve their spot.
The Magpies have won four of their six home matches against Spanish teams in UEFA competitions (L2), but could struggle to compete with Barcelona.
The reigning Spanish champions have lost only two of their last 17 Champions League opening phase games against English teams (W8, D7).
Barcelona are fancied to go a long way in the competition this season and this could be a tough night for Eddie Howe’s side.
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