Tuesday night saw the start of the 2025–26 Champions League league phase—with Matchday 1’s action to be spread across three evenings instead of the traditional two.
Arsenal, Union Saint-Gilloise, Qarabağ, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur all emerged victorious on the first day as Juventus and Borussia Dortmund played out an eight-goal thriller to a draw. It’s now the turn of Liverpool, Atlético Madrid, Bayern Munich and Chelsea to get their competitions underway, with all four undoubtedly expecting to get through to the knockout stages next year.
Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain are also in action on Wednesday night, kicking off the defence of their crown with a difficult-looking home game with former Europa League winners Atalanta.
Here’s how Sports Illustrated predicts the games panning out.
Olympiacos vs. Pafos
Kick-off time: 5.45 p.m. BST / 12.45 p.m ET / 9.45 a.m. PT
Pafos will be one of the more intriguing watches of the league phase, as the Champions League novices face Greek giants Olympiacos to kick off Wednesday’s action.
Olympiacos reached the last 16 of last season’s Europa League, building on the success of their iconic 2023–24 Conference League triumph, and will feel they have more than enough pedigree, particularly at home, to get over the line against a side who overcame Maccabi Tel Aviv and Dynamo Kyiv to reach the league phase.
Prediction: Olympiacos 3–1 Pafos
Slavia Prague vs. Bodø/Glimt
Of those still playing in Europe, Robert Lewandowski has scored at least 50 more Champions League goals than anyone else. pic.twitter.com/7mWvoUc0kf
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) September 16, 2025
Kick-off time: 5.45 p.m. BST / 12.45 p.m ET / 9.45 a.m. PT
Bodø/Glimt have grown in prominence over the past decade and are more familiar to the average Joe, but they are also competition debutants. The Norwegian side, who were Europa League semifinalists last season, start in the Czech capital against Slavia Prague.
Slavia finished 30th in last season’s league phase table, which will offer more than encouragement to their visitors, although they are top of their domestic table after picking up 20 points from their opening eight matches.
Nevertheless, Eliteserien holders Bodø stomped past Sturm Graz in qualifying and could get off to a perfect start.
Prediction: Slavia Prague 0–2 Bodø/Glimt
Ajax vs. Inter
Kick-off time: 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m ET / 12 p.m. PT
Total football’s apex arguably arrived in the 1972 European Cup final when Ajax defeated Inter, one of the teams of the 60s, 2–0. Thus, football historians will be well aware of the heritage involved when the two sides face off in Amsterdam.
Inter reached last season’s final before they met a Luis Enrique-inspired Paris Saint-Germain juggernaut, and games with the Nerazzurri are often tight, cagey affairs, even if Simone Inzaghi has moved onto pastures new with Al Hilal.
Prediction: Ajax 0–0 Inter
Bayern Munich vs. Chelsea
Kick-off time: 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m ET / 12 p.m. PT
There are some belting games to be played under the Tuesday night lights, with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich hosting Conference League holders Chelsea in a repeat of the 2012 final.
One of the major transfer talking points of the summer was Nicolas Jackson’s late move to Germany, and he has the opportunity to get one over the club who happily shipped him off on an expensive loan with an obligation to buy—whether or not that comes to pass is another story judging by Uli Hoeneß’s recent comments.
Jackson will probably enter the fray from the bench, with Harry Kane instead tasked with downing a side he didn’t have a great record against when playing for Tottenham Hotspur—eight goals in 22 outings a poor return by his high standards.
Prediction: Bayern Munich 3–1 Chelsea
Liverpool vs. Atlético Madrid
Kick-off time: 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m ET / 12 p.m. PT
Arne Slot’s big-spending Liverpool have the chance to show their Champions League credentials when they welcome Atlético Madrid to Anfield for a heavyweight tussle.
The pair have met six times previously, with both winning on two occasions and the shares also being spoiled twice, though that’s not happened since their clashes in the 2008–09 group stage.
Liverpool are the favourites in many people’s eyes and we may get to see British-record £125 million Alexander Isak in red for the first time since his acrimonious switch from Newcastle United.
Prediction: Liverpool 2–0 Atlético Madrid
Paris Saint-Germain. vs Atalanta
Kick-off time: 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m ET / 12 p.m. PT
PSG are the world’s best—even if Chelsea can lay claim to that crown with their Club World Cup win— but they’ve suffered a litany of injuries at the start of the new season. Thus, they’re kicking off their defence in the absence of several stars, with Ivan Juric’s Atalanta visiting the Parc des Princes.
Enrique will be grateful that he‘s facing a Juric-led La Dea, after Gian Piero Gasperini departed in the summer, and that may be the ointment he needs to get PSG’s Champions League defence off to the perfect start.
Matchday 9/17 Predictions
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as UEFA Champions League Predictions: Matchday 9/17.
