Overview
- Matchday 1 of the 2026-27 Champions League league phase is underway, with Porto v Manchester City, Real Madrid v Inter and Liverpool v Atlético among the headline fixtures.
- Manchester City opened their campaign in Portugal on Tuesday as coach Enzo Maresca signaled rotation to protect Erling Haaland and to manage a midfield overloaded by near $600 million of summer spending including Enzo Fernández.
- Real Madrid host Inter at the Santiago Bernabéu in a match notable for José Mourinho’s return to face his old club and for Madrid’s midfield absences that have forced tactical reshuffles.
- Liverpool will play Atlético at Anfield with new manager Andoni Iraola making selection choices because of injuries to Conor Bradley, Joe Gomez and Hugo Ekitike while Bradley Barcola could make his full debut.
- The new 36-club, eight-game league format raises the value of early results, so managers are balancing short-term match plans with bigger-season rotation needs that will influence who reaches the top eight and avoids the knockout play-offs.