The first night of the 2026-2027 league phase has already delivered its share of goals, turnarounds and early trends. Behind the wins of Real Madrid and Manchester City, several matches stood out in particular on this opening night.
Aston Villa start with character
In Bruges, Aston Villa won a spectacular match (3-2). The English side quickly took the lead before seeing the Belgians fight back into the game.
John McGinn had the honour of scoring the very first goal of this new Champions League campaign. Villa then had to withstand a Club Bruges comeback to hold on to all three points.
An important win for Unai Emery: his side is already showing it can travel and survive in a tough European atmosphere.
Dortmund go the distance
At the Signal Iduna Park, Borussia Dortmund beat Villarreal 3-2 in a match that could have swung several times.
The evening, however, began with a major scare: Konstantinos Karetsas, 18, collapsed after around 25 minutes and had to be stretchered off for tests. Dortmund then regained control of the match.
Renato Veiga scored an own goal in the 53rd minute, before Santiago Mouriño equalised in the 66th. Serhou Guirassy then made the difference: a goal in the 80th minute, followed by a converted penalty in the 84th. Even a Guirassy own goal in stoppage time was not enough to stop Dortmund holding on to their lead.
Betis pull off a big result in Lille
Real Betis' return to the Champions League, after 21 years away, could hardly have been more spectacular.
Twice behind in Lille, the Seville club found the resources to come back both times. Marc Bartra scored a brace, before Troy Parrott gave Betis the lead for good in the 54th minute.
Lille then saw Ethan Mbappé sent off for an elbow, making their task even harder. Final score: 2-3.
AEK get the job done
In the other match, AEK Athens won 1-0 against LASK thanks to a first-half free kick from Razvan Marin. The Greeks thus pick up three precious points against the Austrian club, who were playing their first ever match in the competition.
What this first night already tells us
After six matches, a trend is emerging: none of the favourites are being allowed a comfortable start.
- Real won but suffered a great deal in the second half.
- City had to wait for Haaland to unlock a match that had long been closed off.
- Dortmund were pushed all the way to the finish.
- Villa and Betis had to work hard to hold on to wins secured in five-goal thrillers.
The new Champions League format is thus already delivering what it promised: more unpredictable contests and immediate pressure on every point.
And the first matchday is not over yet. Barcelona, Liverpool, PSG, Arsenal and Napoli are among those taking the stage on Wednesday.
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