# UEFA Champions League league phase kickoff

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/aston-villa-uefa-champions-league-campaign
> Updated: 2026-09-06T10:07:07.000Z. Sources: 180. Developments: 2.

The 2026/27 UEFA Champions League league phase has commenced, marking the third year of the new format featuring 36 clubs playing eight matches each. Under this structure, teams compete in a single league table, where the top eight teams qualify directly for the round of 16, while teams ranked 9th to 24th enter a playoff phase.

Matchday 1 saw several notable results, with a total of 21 goals scored across the opening matches. Real Madrid secured a 2-1 home victory against Inter Milan, with goals from Kylian Mbappé and Federico Valverde following defensive errors by the Italian side. This match served as a tactical encounter between managers Jose Mourinho and Cristian Chivu.

Manchester City also secured an opening win, defeating Porto 2-0 away behind two goals from Erling Haaland. Borussia Dortmund recorded a 3-2 home victory against Villarreal, continuing a strong start to their season. Other opening fixtures included Aston Villa achieving a 3-2 away win against Club Brugge, with goals from John McGinn, Emiliano Buendia, and Nicolas Jackson. Real Betis also secured a 3-2 comeback victory against Lille.

AEK Athens secured a 1-0 victory over LASK, courtesy of a Razvan Marin free kick in the 21st minute. Despite a disallowed goal for Luka Jovic due to offside, AEK maintained their lead to secure their first win in the competition after a 20-year absence. The tournament also features the league phase debut of clubs such as Como, Sabah, and Viking.

The competition is scheduled to continue through January, eventually moving into playoffs in February and culminating in the final at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid on June 5, 2027.

## Claims

- The tournament uses a format with 36 teams where each club plays eight matches. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The main phase of the Champions League is starting its 35th season. (single source)
- Como, Sabah, LASK Linz, and Viking are the new additions to the main phase this season. (single source)
- The first round of the league phase will be played from September 8 to 10. (single source)
- Real Madrid and Inter will meet in Madrid. (single source)
- AEK Athens returns to the Champions League after a 7-year hiatus. (single source)
- LASK advanced after a 5-1 win against Celtic in a second-leg comeback. (single source)
- The eighth and final round is scheduled for January 27, 2027. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-09-06: UEFA Champions League begins new 36-team league phase

The UEFA Champions League 2026/27 season kicks off with a new 36-team league phase format, featuring marquee matchups like Real Madrid vs Inter Milan and Manchester City vs Porto.

177 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/club-brugge-and-aston-villa-face-off-in-champions-league-fixture

### 2026-08-28: Aston Villa's Ayase Suzuki to face PSG and Barcelona in Champions League debut

The UEFA Champions League draw has set the league phase matchups, featuring high-profile games for Japanese players like Ayase Suzuki with Aston Villa against PSG and Barcelona.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/aston-villas-ayase-suzuki-to-face-psg-and-barcelona-in-champions-league-debut

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Cite as: UEFA Champions League league phase kickoff. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/aston-villa-uefa-champions-league-campaign