Champions League league phase begins today: Manchester City, Villa and Dortmund in action, Real Madrid host Inter

The 2026-27 Champions League league phase begins across Europe today, with teams including Manchester City, Aston Villa and Borussia Dortmund all set to feature, while Real Madrid host Inter Milan at home.

Kick-off times and broadcast platforms

Today's matches are divided into two time slots: the early games kick off at 5:45 p.m. British Summer Time and 12:45 p.m. Eastern Time; the late games start at 8 p.m. British Summer Time and 3 p.m. Eastern Time. Viewers in the United States can watch via Paramount+, while viewers in the United Kingdom can watch via TNT Sports.

Today's key fixtures

The opening matchday features several contests, with Manchester City, Aston Villa and Borussia Dortmund all included among the teams in action. Real Madrid's home match against Inter Milan is one of the day's headline fixtures. The reporting team will continue to provide updates from across Europe.

Discussion

The official page and the email live@theathletic.com are open for discussion, with fans asked several questions: Who are you most excited to watch this season? Which team is a dark horse to win the title? Which player or team will shine today? Fans can participate through the Discuss tag or by email, and some responses will be selected for inclusion in the day's report.