The wait is finally over for Champions League fans!
The group stage of Europe’s biggest tournament kicks off tonight (September 8). In addition to AEK’s opener against LASK Linz (7:45 p.m.) at the “Allwyn Arena,” the schedule includes five more thrilling matches, with the blockbuster clash at the “Bernabéu” between Real Madrid and Inter standing out.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
In the first match of the night (7:45 p.m.), Club Brugge hosts (7:45 p.m.) Europa League champion Aston Villa in a closely contested and intriguing matchup. The Belgian champions are entering the Champions League fray in high spirits, as despite the loss of Christos Tzolis, they have gotten off to an ideal start in the domestic league, with four wins in their first five matches.
They face a team that won the Europa League last season against Freiburg, though this season has not found them at their best. After three Premier League matches, the “Villans” are struggling, having earned just one point—a draw against Hull and two losses.
In the 10:00 PM matches, the schedule features four games. The least commercially appealing, at least on paper, is the one between Lille and Betis in France. The home team is in good form, having recorded two wins and one draw—the latter against Paris Saint-Germain—and they want to continue their strong performances in the Champions League as well.
Betis heads to Lille in high spirits, having had a strong run in the league and coming off a remarkable home victory over Real Madrid. The only concern for the team from Seville is the status of Yorente, Ceballos, Ezalzuli, and Lo Celso, who are all dealing with injuries.
The match between Dortmund and Villarreal at Signal Iduna Park is also drawing attention in Greece. The Westphalian club signed the talented Konstantinos Karetsas and Giannis Konstantelias this summer, and although the latter suffered a serious knee injury and will miss the rest of the season, the team still has high hopes in Europe. In the league, they’ve gotten off to a perfect start, with two wins in two games against Hamburg and Hoffenheim, with Karetsas playing a key role for the “Yellows.” On the field, Niko Kovac will be without defender Mané and the suspended Bensemaini, while Sloterbeck and Chan are also sidelined.
On the other hand, the Spanish side is competing in Europe’s premier club competition for the second consecutive year, following last season’s strong campaign that culminated in a third-place finish in La Liga. However, with Iñigo Pérez now on the bench, the season hasn’t gotten off to a good start, with the “Yellow Submarine” having earned just two points in their first four matches and coming off a home loss to La Coruña.
Meanwhile, in Porto, the “Dragons” host Manchester City and are looking to pull off an upset, making life difficult for the “Citizens.” Porto has gotten off to a perfect start in the Portuguese league, having won 5 out of 5 matches, most recently against Moreirense, and is coming in hot to take points from the English runners-up.
The Manchester-based team, now under Maresca and with many changes, though not particularly convincing, has managed to get the desired results so far this season, having also started with a perfect record in the Premier League, sitting atop the standings with nine points.
The most anticipated match is the one at the “Bernabéu” between Real Madrid and Inter. "Los Blancos," now with Mourinho at the helm, got off to a strong start in the Spanish league, recording three wins in as many games, before losing to Betis in their most recent match.
Facing them is last year’s Champions League finalist, Inter. Their performance in Serie A so far has been impressive, with 3 out of 3 wins, while Saturday’s remarkable comeback and 3-2 victory over Napoli (5/9) has given them the confidence they need to make a strong bid for a positive result in Madrid.
A last-minute problem for Cristian Chivu, as he will be without Di Marco, who felt discomfort in his knee and remained in Milan.
The schedule for Matchday 1
Tuesday, September 8
AEK-LASK (7:45 p.m.)
Club Brugge-Aston Villa (7:45 p.m.)
Borussia Dortmund-Villarreal (10:00 p.m.)
Porto vs. Manchester City (10:00 p.m.)
Lille vs. Real Betis (10:00 p.m.)
Real Madrid vs. Inter (10:00 p.m.)
Wednesday, September 9
Barcelona vs. Feyenoord (7:45 p.m.)
Stuttgart vs. Viking (7:45 p.m.)
Liverpool vs. Atlético Madrid (10:00 p.m.)
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Slovan Bratislava (10:00 p.m.)
Sporting Lisbon vs. Galatasaray (10:00 p.m.)
Napoli vs. Arsenal (10:00 p.m.)
Thursday, September 10
Fenerbahçe vs. Roma (7:45 p.m.)
PSV Eindhoven vs. Shakhtar Donetsk (7:45 p.m.)
Como vs. Leipzig 10:00
p.m. Bayern Munich vs. Bodø/Glimt (10:00 p.m.)
Manchester United vs. Sabah (10:00 p.m.)
Slavia Prague vs. Lens (10:00 p.m.)
MATCHDAY
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