Europe’s biggest club competition is officially back, baby, and the Champions League league phase just kicked off Tuesday with a slate that immediately reminded everyone why this tournament owns the sport. We saw Real Madrid host Inter Milan in a Bernabeu rematch of last season’s knockout drama, and Los Blancos comfortably won 2-1. On Wednesday, the cream rose to the top with Arsenal, Barcelona, Liverpool, and PSG all winning to get their league phase season off to the right start. This first matchweek stretches Tuesday through Thursday, giving us six matches apiece as all 36 clubs in the expanded league phase begin their eight-game round robin toward the knockout playoffs. Talk about a format built for absolute chaos!
Matchday 1 Is Setting the Tone
Matchday 1 is already setting the tone, and it’s looking wild. Every single match streams live on Paramount+, so if you’re not signed up yet, what are you even doing? That’s your home for every Champions League game, plus replays, highlights, and studio coverage breaking down the race for the top eight. Our experts have dropped their picks for Thursday, and some of these look spicy. For Fenerbahce vs. Roma, we’re seeing picks like 2-3, 1-2, 1-2, 1-2, and 2-1. PSV vs. Shakhtar Donetsk is drawing predictions of 2-0, 3-0, 2-0, 3-1, and 2-1. Bayern Munich vs. Bodo/Glimt has folks thinking 3-1, 4-0, 4-1, 3-1, and 4-0. Slavia Prague vs. Lens is tighter, with picks like 1-0, 0-0, 0-0, 0-1, and 2-2. And Como vs. RB Leipzig is another tight one: 1-1, 3-1, 1-1, 2-1, and 2-1. But one game is getting all the buzz.
The Game You CANNOT Miss: Man United vs. Sabah FK
The game of the day, without a doubt, is Manchester United vs. Sabah FK. And get this: the player to watch is Orphe Mbina from Sabah. I’m not even kidding, our own James Benge is “unaware of a team involved in the Champions League” as much as Sabah, a club celebrating its ninth anniversary just two days before taking the field at Old Trafford. But Mbina’s numbers alone are fascinating. He averaged over six shots per 90 minutes in the qualifying rounds, predominantly used off the bench, and scored a crucial goal to eliminate Hapoel Be’er Sheva and get Sabah to the league phase! Talk about stepping up when it counts.
Meanwhile, Bryan Mbuemo for Manchester United is the predicted Man of the Match. He’s already scored three goals in the opening games of the season, and now he’s making his Champions League debut against Sabah. This is a must-win game for the Red Devils, and Michael Carrick is counting on Mbuemo to deliver a Champions League-level performance alongside Marcus Rashford and Benjamin Sesko in the attack. The prediction? Manchester United 3, Sabah 0. While the jury’s still out on Man United’s overall abilities this season, they are heavily favored against Azerbaijan’s surprise champions. But hey, Sabah may be in for a brutal Champions League debut, or they could surprise everyone. That’s the beauty of this tournament!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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