Champions League 2025/26 Kicks Off With Thrills, Upsets and Goals Galore

The 2025/26 UEFA Champions League league phase officially kicked off on 16 September 2025, ushering in Europe’s biggest club competition in its expanded 36-team format. After qualifying rounds that ran from July through August, the action began with drama, upsets, and standout performances across Europe.

On opening night, Arsenal marked their return in style with a 2-0 away win over Athletic Club, while Belgium’s Union Saint-Gilloise stunned PSV Eindhoven 3-1. In Lisbon, Qarabağ FK shocked fans by rallying to a famous 3-2 victory over Benfica. Elsewhere, Real Madrid edged Marseille 2-1 and Juventus and Borussia Dortmund shared an eight-goal thriller that ended 4-4. Tottenham began their campaign on a winning note, beating Villarreal 1-0.

The excitement carried into recent fixtures as Inter Milan silenced Ajax 2-0, Bayern Munich beat Chelsea 3-1, Liverpool produced a late winner in a 3-2 result over Atlético Madrid, while Paris Saint-Germain swept aside Atalanta 4-0. Slavia Praha vs Bodø/Glimt ended in a 2-2 draw and Olympiacos vs Pafos was goalless.

Today’s Fixtures to Watch
More showdowns are scheduled for today, including:

• Club Brugge vs Monaco — 5:45pm
• FC Copenhagen vs Bayer Leverkusen — 5:45pm
• Eintracht Frankfurt vs Galatasaray — 8:00pm
• Manchester City vs Napoli — 8:00pm
• Newcastle United vs Barcelona — 8:00pm
• Sporting Lisbon vs Kairat Almaty — 8:00pm