🌟 Champions League: 5 talking points from matchday 1

🌟 Champions League: 5 talking points from matchday 1 It’s finally back! The Champions League returns this week for the 2026-2027 season! Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday: the first 18 fixtures of this new edition will be played across three days, with five major talking points already, which we present to you here. Real Madrid: is the giant of Europe back? Four days after Real Madrid’s first defeat of the season (a 1-0 loss away to Real Betis), Real Madrid and José Mourinho begin their European campaign with a huge test: Inter Milan. The Portuguese coach comes up against a former club as he launches Real Madrid’s “reconquest” mission in the Champions League, where they have not reached the semi-finals of the prestigious competition since their last triumph in 2024. An eternity for a club like Real. PSG: the UCL to forget Ligue 1? 3 matches, no wins: PSG have made a poor start to their Ligue 1 season. This Wednesday, Paris return to their competition as two-time defending champions. PSG host Bratislava, an obviously beatable opponent. Perfect for getting back on track? Lens and Lille: 3 points right from MD1? The two other French representatives in this season’s Champions League also begin their campaigns against opponents within their reach. Real Betis at home for Lille; Slavia Prague in Czechia for RC Lens. Two great opportunities to pick up their first three points and get their top-24 objective off to the best possible start! Man United and Roma: the return of the historic clubs This 2026-2027 edition also marks the long-awaited return to the Champions League of two historic clubs: Manchester United and AS Roma. Absent for the past two seasons, Man United host the competition’s minnows, Sabah Baku, on Thursday evening. Absent since the 2018-2019 season, AS Roma will travel to Fenerbahçe. Arsenal and Liverpool: massive tests to start In addition to Tuesday’s clash between Real Madrid and Inter, this opening matchday gives us two more blockbuster showdowns on Wednesday: Liverpool vs Atlético de Madrid and Napoli vs Arsenal. Which matches are you most looking forward to? This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.