Champions League First Round Kicks Off Tonight: Real Madrid vs Inter Milan! Mourinho Faces Former Club, Mbappe and Lautaro Lead Striker Duel

Club Brugge vs Aston Villa September 9 (Wednesday) 00:45

In the first round of the Champions League league phase, Club Brugge host Aston Villa. Who will secure a winning start in the Champions League?

Returning to the Champions League, Villa are set to challenge Belgian Pro League champions Club Brugge. After winning the Europa League last season, Emery's team underwent major squad changes this summer: Rogers, Konsa, Watkins, Tielemans, and Dibu Martinez have all departed, forcing the club to begin a rebuilding process. Since the start of the new season, they have lost 0-4 to Brighton and 0-1 to Arsenal, before drawing 0-0 with Hull City last weekend, leaving them winless after three matches with one draw and two defeats. Villa are also one of the only three Premier League teams yet to score this season. This is a major challenge for manager Emery.

For Club Brugge, after five league matches this season, they have recorded four wins and one defeat, showing stable and impressive form. Their Jan Breydel Stadium has long been regarded as a notoriously difficult away venue in European competitions. Last March, the two teams met in the Champions League round of 16, when Villa advanced with a 6-1 aggregate victory. Who will come out on top this time?

Real Madrid vs Inter Milan September 9 (Wednesday) 03:00

In the first round of the Champions League league phase, Real Madrid welcome Inter Milan at the Bernabeu. Which of these two giants will claim all three points in their Champions League opener?

This match will be exclusively broadcast across all media platforms by iQIYI Sports. Live stream link — (tap the original article on mobile/pad).

This is the biggest clash of the round. After returning to Real Madrid, Mourinho will lead a team in the Champions League for the first time and faces former club Inter Milan in his opening match. The drama of this encounter needs little explanation — Mourinho led Inter to European glory in 2010, completing a treble, and now he returns to the Champions League stage as an opponent. However, Mourinho's Champions League debut faces a difficult personnel situation. According to reports, Camavinga, Guler, and B Silva will miss the match due to suspension, forcing Mourinho to reorganize the midfield. According to pre-match information, Mourinho may move Bellingham deeper or use Arnold as a midfielder.

With this setup, Arnold and Bellingham would be positioned on Valverde's right and left sides respectively, forming a three-man midfield; the front line would consist of Diomande (alternative option: Brahim Diaz), Mbappe, and Vinicius to form a front three. In the previous match, Mbappe missed a stoppage-time penalty and failed to equalize, missed four scoring chances, and received a media rating of 6.0, the lowest on the team. Whether he can handle the pressure of a major occasion and deliver a finish will be a key talking point.

In addition, Cucurella, who suffered muscle cramps late in the match against Betis, remains doubtful for the game. Although reports suggest his injury does not appear serious, whether he can recover within three days remains unknown. It is worth noting that Dumfries is set to face Inter. Last season, the Dutch wing-back made 28 appearances in all competitions for the Nerazzurri, scoring five goals and providing two assists. Having joined the Galacticos this summer, he will face his former club in this match.

Inter have won all three league matches this season, scoring eight goals and conceding three, and currently sit second in Serie A due to an inferior goal difference. Against Napoli last weekend, Lautaro regained form by scoring twice, including the winning goal, helping the team complete a comeback from 0-2 down to win 3-2. The team is full of confidence. Looking back at the historical meetings between the two sides, Real Madrid have won their last five encounters. Who will claim victory in this opener?

Porto vs Manchester City September 9 (Wednesday) 03:00

In the first round of the Champions League league phase, Porto host Manchester City at the Dragao Stadium. Can the intimidating home ground stop the Citizens?

Manchester City spent 380 million euros this summer to rebuild their midfield. After three matches, Anderson's performances have delighted City fans, with his coverage, tackles, and passing statistics all standing out, making City's midfield much stronger. O'Reilly's injury during the pre-match warm-up meant Enzo's debut arrived slightly earlier than expected. The 145 million-euro record signing played 76 minutes in his first match, completing 73 passes at a 90.4% success rate, with one clearance, one tackle, and four successful ground duels out of five, while also creating Haaland's goal. His substitution directly caused City's midfield to lose control, showing the quality of the World Cup-winning midfielder. However, according to pre-match news, although O'Reilly's injury is not serious, he is expected to struggle to play against Porto. In the match against Coventry, Haaland scored the only goal of the game and reached the milestone of 300 club goals. Can he score in consecutive Champions League matches?

The Dragao Stadium has long been known as one of Europe's famous intimidating home grounds. Porto have won all six matches in all competitions this season and are in strong form. With their deep traditions, they cannot be underestimated. Looking back at the historical record between the two teams, Manchester City have three wins and one draw without defeat. Who will take all three points in this clash?