BY JOSHUA OTIENO
SEPTEMBER 11, 2026
The 2026/27 UEFA Champions League has burst into life with an action-packed opening matchday that delivered goals, dramatic comebacks, heavyweight victories and stunning results across Europe.
Played between September 8 and 10 under the revamped 36-team single-league-phase format, all 18 opening matches produced plenty of entertainment, with 14 teams recording victories while only four encounters ended in draws.
The opening night on Tuesday immediately set the tone, with Europe’s heavyweights and ambitious challengers producing a series of high-scoring contests.
Real Madrid began their campaign with a 2-1 victory over Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabéu, with Kylian Mbappé and Federico Valverde helping the Spanish champions secure an important opening-night win.
Manchester City also made a strong statement away from home, defeating FC Porto 2-0 in Portugal. Erling Haaland struck twice early in the second half to settle the contest and give Pep Guardiola’s side maximum points.
Aston Villa were involved in another thriller, edging Club Brugge 3-2 in Belgium. Villa captain John McGinn had the distinction of scoring the first goal of the new Champions League campaign.
Borussia Dortmund also survived a five-goal battle, defeating Villarreal 3-2 at Signal Iduna Park. Serhou Guirassy scored twice for Dortmund in an eventful encounter that also saw the striker put the ball into his own net.
Real Betis claimed another 3-2 away victory against LOSC Lille, while AEK Athens secured a narrow 1-0 win over LASK in the night’s only match decided by a single goal.
Wednesday produced even more attacking fireworks as Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona demonstrated their offensive strength.
Defending champions PSG overwhelmed Slovan Bratislava 6-1, with Ferran Torres leading a devastating attacking performance as the French giants sent an early warning to the rest of the competition.
Barcelona matched that six-goal spectacle in terms of overall attacking dominance, beating Feyenoord 5-1 at Spotify Camp Nou. Raphinha was the standout performer, scoring five times in a remarkable individual display.
Arsenal also began their campaign with an important away victory, edging Napoli 1-0 at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, while Liverpool came from behind to defeat Atlético de Madrid 2-1 at Anfield in one of the night’s biggest fixtures.
Dominik Szoboszlai played a key role as Liverpool completed their comeback against Diego Simeone’s side.
Elsewhere, VfB Stuttgart defeated Viking FK 3-1, while Sporting CP overcame Galatasaray by the same scoreline in Lisbon.
The final round of opening fixtures on Thursday brought more surprises, including one of the biggest shocks of the entire matchday.
Champions League debutants Como 1907 stunned RB Leipzig with a 4-1 victory in Italy. Cesc Fàbregas’ side produced a historic European performance, with Martin Baturina playing a key role as Como announced themselves on the biggest club stage.
Bayern Munich also produced one of the most emphatic results of the opening week, crushing Bodø/Glimt 5-0 at the Allianz Arena.
After a quiet opening half, Bayern exploded after the break, with Michael Olise scoring twice while Harry Kane and Jamal Musiala also found the net as the German giants completed a dominant victory.
Manchester United marked their return to the Champions League with a convincing 4-0 victory over Azerbaijani debutants Sabah FK at Old Trafford.
Patrick Dorgu stood out for United as they produced a confident display in front of their home supporters.
There was also late drama in Prague, where RC Lens staged one of the most remarkable comebacks of the opening matchday against Slavia Prague.
Trailing 2-1 after 90 minutes, Lens scored twice in stoppage time to complete a stunning 3-2 comeback and snatch all three points.
The final two fixtures ended in draws, with Fenerbahçe and Roma sharing the points after a 1-1 draw in Istanbul, while PSV Eindhoven and Shakhtar Donetsk also played out a 1-1 stalemate in the Netherlands.
The heavy scorelines have already made goal difference an important factor in the new single-table competition.
Paris Saint-Germain lead the early standings with a +5 goal difference, level with Bayern Munich, while Barcelona sit third on +4 and Manchester United occupy fourth with the same goal difference.
With no traditional group stages in the new format, every result and every goal could prove significant as clubs battle for favourable positions in the league table and progression to the knockout rounds.
The Champions League now takes a break as clubs turn their attention to domestic and international commitments before the competition resumes for Matchday 2 on October 13 and 14.
Among the headline fixtures awaiting fans are Manchester City against PSG and Roma against Real Madrid.
After just one matchday, Europe has already provided a taste of what the new Champions League format can deliver.
Goals have arrived in abundance, established giants have made their intentions clear, while newcomers such as Como have shown that the competition can still produce spectacular surprises.
The road to European glory has only just begun, but Matchday 1 has already raised the stakes.
