The UEFA Champions League resumed its 2026-27 season on Tuesday with notable victories for Real Madrid and Manchester City, highlighting the return of key stars Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.
At the Santiago Bernabeu, Real Madrid secured a 2-1 win over Inter Milan in a match marked by managerial intrigue and tactical discipline. Mbappe opened the scoring in the 14th minute, netting his 71st Champions League goal, which moved him equal with club legend Raul in fifth place on the competition’s all-time scorers list. The second goal came from Federico Valverde, who capitalized on a goalkeeper error by Inter’s Josep Martinez to put Madrid ahead 2-0 before halftime. Inter controlled much of the game with 61% possession and pulled one back in the 77th minute through Carlos Augusto, but could not find an equalizer.
This victory marked a successful Champions League return for Madrid’s head coach Jose Mourinho, who won the trophy previously with Inter in 2010. Despite Inter’s dominance in possession, Mourinho’s side exploited opposition mistakes in what he described as a highly eventful contest. The former Inter manager aims to join an elite group of coaches with three Champions League titles.
Meanwhile, at the Estadio do Dragao, Manchester City continued their strong start under new coach Enzo Maresca with a 2-0 victory over Porto. Haaland was the standout performer, scoring both goals to extend his impressive scoring run to five goals in his last three games and bring his total to 59 goals in 59 Champions League appearances. The Norwegian striker’s opener came just two minutes into the second half with a header, and he sealed the win with a stoppage-time finish. Haaland emphasized the team’s ambition, noting the high demands placed by Maresca and the club’s focus on winning trophies.
Other results on the opening night included Borussia Dortmund’s narrow 3-2 win over Villarreal, Real Betis’s 3-2 victory against Lille, Aston Villa’s 3-2 triumph at Club Brugge, and AEK Athens’s 1-0 win versus LASK. Aston Villa’s victory was significant as it ended the English club’s winless and goalless run early in the Premier League season.
Paris Saint-Germain, the defending champions aiming for consecutive titles, will begin their group stage campaign on Wednesday against Slovan Bratislava.
The early fixtures have reinforced expectations that Real Madrid and Manchester City will be among the main contenders in this year’s Champions League, with their star forwards playing pivotal roles in their teams’ performances.