Champions League Is Back — Matchday 1 Results, Tonight's Big Games and the Jerseys to Watch

Published: September 9, 2026 — The Champions League returned last night with six opening fixtures. Manchester City won 2-0 at Porto. Real Madrid beat Inter Milan 2-1 at the Bernabéu. Aston Villa lost 2-3 to Club Brugge in a thriller. Tonight brings the biggest games of Matchday 1: Arsenal face Napoli in Naples, Liverpool host Atlético Madrid at Anfield, and Barcelona welcome Feyenoord at Camp Nou. The 2026-27 Champions League final is at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid on June 5, 2027. Here is the full picture — and the jerseys worth buying before tonight's results come in.

Tuesday's Results — Matchday 1 Day One

🔵 Manchester City 2–0 Porto · Estádio do Dragão

(cite index="16-1">Porto meet Manchester City at the Dragão.

The sky blue City jersey — one of the Premier League's best-designed kits this season — began its continental campaign in Portugal. This is the jersey of a team that many consider pre-tournament favourites alongside Real Madrid.

Shop the Manchester City 2026-27 Jersey →

⚪ Real Madrid 2–1 Inter Milan · Santiago Bernabéu

(cite index="16-1">Real Madrid host Inter Milan at the Bernabéu.

The white Real Madrid jersey, worn for Mourinho's Champions League homecoming, is one of the most globally recognized kits in football. In European competition, under the Bernabéu lights, it carries history that no other shirt can match.

Shop the Real Madrid 2026-27 Jersey →

💜 Club Brugge 3–2 Aston Villa · Jan Breydel Stadion

(cite index="10-1">Club Brugge 2-3 Aston Villa

For Aston Villa fans, this is a learning experience. For jersey buyers, the Villa shirt is still the jersey of a club back on European football's biggest stage for the first time in decades — and the campaign has seven more matchdays to turn it around.

Shop the Aston Villa 2026-27 Jersey →

Other Tuesday Results

• Borussia Dortmund 3–2 Villarreal — BVB, with Ethan Nwaneri on loan from Arsenal, open with a home win
• Lille 2–3 Real Betis — Real Betis, back in the Champions League for the first time since 2005-06, win away
• AEK Athens 1–0 LASK — The early kick-off

Tonight: The Big Three — Wednesday September 9

🔴 Arsenal vs Napoli · 9pm CET · Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Naples

(cite index="11-1">Napoli vs Arsenal on September 9.

(cite index="16-1">Massimiliano Allegri's Napoli host Mikel Arteta's Arsenal in one of Matchday 1's sharpest stylistic clashes. Arteta's Arsenal travel with a settled possession identity and a habit of controlling territory away from home.

Arsenal — Premier League leaders, three wins from three, unbeaten in 17 London derbies — open their Champions League campaign at one of European football's most atmospheric grounds. The Maradona Stadium in Naples. Napoli under Allegri. A test of character as much as quality.

Sporting CP equalled their best-ever European Cup performance last season by reaching the quarter-finals, where they lost to Arsenal. The Gunners know what it takes to go deep in this competition. Tonight is the first step.

The red Arsenal jersey on a European night is one of football's great visual spectacles. If they win in Naples — one of the hardest grounds in Europe — the Champions League odds shift immediately.

Shop the Arsenal 2026-27 Jersey →

🔴 Liverpool vs Atlético Madrid · 9pm CET · Anfield

(cite index="16-1">Liverpool face Atlético Madrid at Anfield.

Andoni Iraola's first Champions League match as Liverpool manager. Anfield. The European anthem. The famous European nights under the Anfield lights — and Atlético Madrid, Diego Simeone's side, one of the most reliable antagonists in this competition.

Liverpool vs Atlético has a history: the 2020 round of 16, when Atlético eliminated Liverpool at Anfield in extra time, remains one of the most dramatic nights in recent Champions League history. Tonight is a chance for a new chapter.

The red Liverpool jersey, under the Anfield lights, in a Champions League opener against Atlético — this is what European football looks like at its best.

Shop the Liverpool 2026-27 Jersey →

🔵🔴 Barcelona vs Feyenoord · 9pm CET · Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys

(cite index="10-1">Barcelona vs Feyenoord on September 9.

Lamine Yamal's first Champions League match as a World Cup champion. The Ballon d'Or favourite. The blaugrana at home in Europe. And alongside him: Rodri, the World Cup Golden Ball winner, now at Barcelona and making his debut in European competition with his new club.

This is potentially the most watched match of the three tonight. Barcelona — technically the best team in Europe last season domestically — with a squad of World Cup winners facing Feyenoord, who reach this competition having won the Dutch league.

The Barcelona jersey has never carried more individual talent. Yamal, Pedri, Rodri, Gordon — eight World Cup gold medalists in one squad. Camp Nou in European competition is the stage.

Shop the FC Barcelona 2026-27 Jersey → Shop the Yamal #11 Barcelona Jersey →

Matchday 1 — Full Schedule

The Champions League Format — What You Need to Know

(cite index="13-1">The 2026-27 Champions League uses a league phase format. Matchday 1 runs September 8–10. Matchday 2 is October 13-14. The final is at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid on June 5, 2027.

All 36 teams play eight matches in the league phase. The top eight qualify automatically for the round of 16. Teams finishing 9th to 24th enter a two-legged play-off for the remaining round of 16 spots. Teams finishing 25th or below are eliminated.

The Estadio Metropolitano, home of Atlético de Madrid since 2017, held the 2019 final when Liverpool defeated Tottenham 2-0. In 2027, it hosts again. The jerseys worn in the winning dressing room in Madrid on June 5 are the ones worth owning.

The Jersey Shortlist: European Edition

For fans who want to own the jersey of a Champions League contender this season, here is the honest ranking of who has the best shot at Madrid:

Order Before Tonight's Results

Tonight's three results — Arsenal, Liverpool, Barcelona — will move markets for jersey buyers. A Barcelona win with a Yamal goal sends demand for the blaugrana surging. An Arsenal win in Naples confirms them as genuine European contenders. A Liverpool win at Anfield against Atlético announces Iraola's era with a statement.

Buy before the results come in. The jerseys are the same price regardless — but after the results, demand changes overnight.

Browse the full Champions League club jersey collection at JerseyFun →

Published: September 9, 2026. Tonight: Arsenal vs Napoli · Liverpool vs Atlético Madrid · Barcelona vs Feyenoord — all 9pm CET. Champions League Matchday 2: October 13-14. Final: June 5, 2027, Estadio Metropolitano, Madrid. Article will be updated with tonight's results.