Champions League: Real Madrid v Inter Milan headlines opening day as Manchester City visit Porto

Real Madrid host Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, in one of the standout fixtures on the opening day of the UEFA Champions League group stage. Manchester City also face a demanding start to their European campaign when they travel to play FC Porto.

The opening round of matches will see clubs competing for valuable points at the beginning of the group stage, with several high-profile ties scheduled across the day.

Real Madrid and Inter Milan provide the headline contest in the Spanish capital. The meeting at the Santiago Bernabeu is expected to attract the greatest attention, with both sides beginning their push for progress in the competition.

Manchester City must negotiate a difficult away fixture against FC Porto. The Portuguese side will welcome the English club as the opening-day programme brings together two teams with ambitions of making a strong start.

Elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund begin their campaign at home to Villarreal. The German club will welcome the Spanish visitors as both sides look to establish an early position in their group.

LOSC Lille will also have home advantage when they face Real Betis. The French club are scheduled to meet the Spanish side in another of the evening’s fixtures.

The day’s action begins at 16:45 GMT, when Club Bruges play Aston Villa and AEK Athens take on LASK. Those two matches will launch the first set of fixtures in this Champions League campaign.

Aston Villa and AEK Athens are therefore among the first teams to enter the competition, with their matches starting before the evening schedule. Club Bruges will face Aston Villa, while AEK Athens will meet LASK.

The remaining four games are all due to kick off at 19:00 GMT. Real Madrid’s meeting with Inter Milan and FC Porto’s match against Manchester City form the most prominent part of that line-up, while Borussia Dortmund’s game with Villarreal and LOSC Lille’s encounter with Real Betis complete the programme.

UEFA Champions League fixtures – Tuesday, 8 September 2026

16:45 GMT

– Club Bruges v Aston Villa – AEK Athens v LASK

19:00 GMT

– Real Madrid v Inter Milan – FC Porto v Manchester City – Borussia Dortmund v Villarreal – LOSC Lille v Real Betis

With six matches taking place across the day, the competition begins with a mixture of major European showdowns and closely watched home fixtures. Real Madrid v Inter Milan stands out as the principal tie, while Manchester City’s visit to FC Porto adds another significant contest to the opening schedule.