Three Champions League Blockbusters to Watch Today

The 2026/27 UEFA Champions League gets underway today, September 8, with several heavyweight fixtures on the schedule. Among the opening-night matches, three stand out for their quality, history and potential to set the tone for the European campaign.

Real Madrid vs Inter Milan

The biggest attraction of the night comes from the Santiago Bernabéu, where Real Madrid host Inter Milan. Madrid, the competition’s record 15-time winners, begin another European campaign with expectations of challenging for the trophy. Inter, meanwhile, arrive as one of Italy’s leading sides and will provide a serious test for José Mourinho’s team.

With Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham among Madrid’s attacking threats, Inter will need to remain disciplined defensively. The match is scheduled for 9:00pm local Spanish time.

Porto vs Manchester City

Manchester City begin their European campaign with a difficult trip to Portugal to face Porto at Estádio do Dragão. City enter the match with confidence after a strong start domestically, while Porto will hope home advantage can help them frustrate one of the tournament favourites.

The tactical battle in midfield could be decisive, with City’s possession-based approach facing Porto’s intensity and ability to attack quickly.

Borussia Dortmund vs Villarreal

At Signal Iduna Park, Borussia Dortmund welcome Villarreal in another intriguing contest. Dortmund have home support behind them and will look to establish control early, while Villarreal will aim to exploit any defensive openings.

Recent previews have generally favoured Dortmund, with their home advantage and attacking quality making them an attractive choice.

With all three matches kicking off at 9:00pm Central European Time, Tuesday promises a compelling start to this season’s Champions League.