While two of the competition’s weakest sides, AEK Athens vs. LASK is not an encounter without intrigue.

The former are making their return to the competition for the first time since 2018–19, while it’s a competition debut for the latter after their staggering comeback in the final qualifying round.

The Austrians were trailing by four goals with just an hour left of their second leg playoff tie against Celtic, but roared back to secure an extraordinary 5–4 aggregate win.

Fewer fireworks are expected in Greece’s capital, however.

Despite losing manager Pierre Sage to Crystal Palace over the summer, Lens have made an encouraging start to the current campaign. A stoic defensive display resulted in a victory over PSG in the Trophée des Champions, which was followed by a 5–2 win over Auxerre.

Dino Toppmöller endured a rotten Champions League campaign as Eintracht Frankfurt boss last season, but will aim to improve his personal record this time around. That starts with a trip to the experienced Slavia Praha, who failed to win any of their eight league phase games last term.

Shakhtar Donetsk’s trip to PSV Eindhoven on Thursday hardly appears a must-watch occasion.

The reigning Eredivisie champions failed to qualify for the knockout phase of last season’s Champions League and were thrashed 9–3 on aggregate at the round of 16 in the campaign prior. A similarly unspectacular term is projected.

Champions League regulars Shakhtar took a brief hiatus last season as they instead contested the Conference League, but they’re back now and ready to punch above their weight as usual.

If you’re interested in watching PSG annihilate one of the competition’s minnows, then Slovan Bratislava’s trip to the Parc des Princes is appointment viewing.

Despite a shaky start to their campaign, the French giants should deliver a high-scoring, routine victory against their Slovakian visitors.

One narrative point is Slovan’s manager, however, with former Barcelona and Manchester City midfielder Yaya Touré overseeing his first league phase outing—having already made history in qualifying.

Real Betis’s Champions League comeback will be overshadowed by more appetizing fixtures on Tuesday, but the Spaniards will be brimming with excitement for their trip to Lille.

Their last appearance in the competition came all the way back in 2005–06, where they were unable to make it beyond the group stage. With a little luck, they could reach the knockout phase on their return.

A victory over Lille would set them on their way, although toppling the French side won’t be straightforward. Now under the guidance of Davide Ancelotti, son of Brazil manager Carlo, Les Dogues have made a bright start to the Italian’s reign.

Along with the aforementioned LASK, Norwegian outfit Viking are one of four debutants in this season’s Champions League. The proved their credentials by beating competition regulars Dinamo Zagreb across two legs in their playoff.

Whether they can emulate compatriots Bodø/Glimt and take the European stage by storm remains to be seen, especially given they haven’t made the group stage or league phase of any UEFA competition since 2005–06.

VfB Stuttgart will be keen to spoil the party as they return to the Champions League after a one-year absence, and should have the firepower to overcome an unfamiliar foe.

There’s certainly a glamor to Fenerbahçe vs. Roma. It’s a fixture that wouldn’t have looked out of place during the noughties, but now signals the resurgence of both clubs.

Roma, who are thriving under Gian Piero Gasperini, are making their Champions League comeback after last appearing in the 2018–19 edition of the competition.

Meanwhile, their Turkish adversaries are also returning after a lengthy absence, with Fenerbahçe having been missing from the Champions League since 2008–09.

Sporting CP and Galatasaray both enjoyed productive 2025–26 seasons in the Champions League. The former were particularly impressive, finishing seventh in the league phase and reaching the quarterfinals before being narrowly beaten by Arsenal.

Gala twice conquered Liverpool on their own patch as they made it to the round of 16, and also toppled Juventus in the knockout playoff round with a stunning 7–5 aggregate victory.

Both clubs will hope to repeat those journeys this season and victory in their opening fixture could prove pivotal come the conclusion of Matchday 8.

Cesc Fábregas has masterminded Como’s renaissance since taking charge of the Italians in 2024. Of course, vast sums have been spent to ensure they are competitive, but their overperformance can’t be underestimated after they qualified automatically for the Champions League last season.

It will be a first-ever appearance for Como in the competition and, despite being placed in Pot 4 for the draw, they will expect to surprise a few big-hitters in the league phase.

RB Leipzig will be wary of the threat their upcoming hosts pose, and can ill-afford complacency after missing out on last season’s Champions League—and European competition altogether.

Champions League soccer is back at Old Trafford following last season’s incredible turnaround under Michael Carrick, but Manchester United face a first-time opponent on their league phase debut.

Azerbaijani side Sabah will experience quite the atmosphere on their proper Champions League debut, and will be yearning for a miraculous result inside the Theatre of Dreams.

Unfortunately for the minnows, a hefty defeat is most likely, especially considering the array of attacking options United have at their disposal. Still, it will prove an unforgettable experience for Sabah and their fans.

Aston Villa have been unable to escape Club Brugge since returning to Europe under Unai Emery. They faced the Belgians three times during the 2024–25 season, losing the league phase clash away from home before back-to-back wins in the knockout phase.

The Villans will be hoping it’s more of the latter than the former on Tuesday at the Jan Breydel Stadium, especially after a tumultuous summer which has seen massive changes to their roster.

After losing Morgan Rogers, Ezri Konsa, Ollie Watkins, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne, Villa could really do with a winning start to their league phase campaign.

Signal Iduna Park will be entirely yellow on Tuesday when Villarreal make their trip to Germany attempting to better last season’s dire league phase campaign. They lost seven of their eight matches as they came 35th in the standings.

Dortmund, who typically overperform on the continent, will want to pile more misery on the Spaniards in the Champions League, and an opening day win will have them reminiscing about their journey to the final of the 2023–24 competition.

The two sides clashed last year in the league phase as Dortmund came out emphatic 4–0 victors on their own patch. Villarreal set out on a revenge mission this time.

After securing successive La Liga titles under Hansi Flick, the onus is on Barcelona to end their long wait for European glory. Not since 2015 have the Catalan giants got their hands on the Champions League trophy.

Barça have reached the quarterfinals or beyond in the last three seasons, but they’re desperate to take those extra steps this campaign. Their road to success commences with a visit from Feyenoord, who should be bypassed relatively easily.

The 1970 European Cup winners will hope to catch Barça on one of their defensively dodgy days, but defeat is the most realistic outcome for the Dutch side.

After a bright start to their Premier League season under new boss Enzo Maresca, Manchester City now turn their attention to the Champions League and an awkward away day at two-time European champions Porto.

Rayan Cherki might be motivation enough for viewers to tune into this clash on Tuesday, with the silky Frenchman purring early in the season with several sublime performances.

Porto will be wary of the attacking midfielder, not to mention the likes of Erling Haaland and Antoine Semenyo, but they have been in fine form at the start of the term and will fancy an upset.

After losing a breathless semifinal with PSG last season, Bayern Munich will be determined to reach the showpiece event of this term’s competition—and few can argue against their place among the tournament’s favorites.

With Harry Kane, Michael Olise and Luis Díaz set to wreak havoc on European defenses again this season, there’s no reason the Bundesliga champions can’t go all the way for the first time since 2020.

They start off against the surprise package of last season’s Champions League campaign: Bodø/Glimt. The Norwegian side overcame the odds to produce a stunning run to the round of 16, which included wins over Man City, Inter Milan and Atlético Madrid.

Can they do the same again this season?

Two miscued spot kicks cost Arsenal their first-ever Champions League title back in May, but heartbreak can fuel their push for the trophy this season. After ending their 22-year wait for the Premier League title last term, their European drought could soon be over, too.

Arsenal won all eight of their league phase matches last season as they sauntered to first in the standings, and their self-belief and defensive organization could propel them to another perfect run.

Their opening test is Napoli, who surprised everyone for the wrong reasons last season. The Italians came 30th in the league phase and crashed out earlier than expected, but they could be a different force on the European stage under Max Allegri.

For the second season on the spin, Liverpool host Atlético Madrid in their league phase opener. The last encounter was pretty entertaining as the Reds surrendered an early two-goal lead, before Virgil van Dijk rose to score the winner in stoppage time.

We could witness another goal-laden affair on Wednesday, especially considering the start to the season both sides have made. Neither look very convincing in defense despite boasting an arsenal of attacking weapons.

This will be Andoni Iraola’s first taste of Champions League soccer as a coach and he will be determined to get off on the right foot. Another special European night at Anfield could be on the cards.

José Mourinho is back pulling the strings in the Bernabéu dugout and his European return with Real Madrid comes against the side he helped to the 2010 Champions League title.

A reunion with Inter Milan should be spicy, as most matches are involving Mourinho, and he will be tasked with overcoming one of his former pupils in Cristian Chivu—who started Inter’s Champions League final win over Bayern Munich 16 years ago.

One of two meetings between Pot 1 sides this midweek should deliver a high-quality game, but it’s Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham who should have the last laugh in Madrid.