Bilbao vs. Arsenal (September 16, 11:45 PM Hanoi time). Bilbao returns to the Champions League group stage after 11 years. This is only the second time the Basque team has appeared in Europe's premier club competition, following the 1998-1999 season.

The San Mames stadium is Bilbao's stronghold. In last season's Europa League, they won all four group stage matches and then defeated Roma 3-1 and Rangers 2-0 in the knockout rounds. Ernesto Valverde's side only lost in the semi-finals, 3-0 at home to Man Utd.

Meanwhile, Arsenal enters the match with a five-game winning streak against Spanish opponents in European competitions. Last season, Mikel Arteta's team won 2-1 at Girona in the group stage and eliminated Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals.

The "Gunners" also have a good record in opening matches, unbeaten in their last 8 Champions League group stage openers (6 wins, 2 draws). The last time Arsenal lost an opening match was against Dinamo Zagreb in the 2015-2016 season.

Juventus vs. Dortmund (September 17, 2 AM). The match in Turin evokes memories of the 1997 Champions League final, where Dortmund unexpectedly defeated Juventus 3-1 with a brace from Karl-Heinz Riedle.

The head-to-head record favors Juventus, with six wins, one draw, and only two losses in nine encounters with Dortmund in European competitions. The "Old Lady" also has a good record against German teams, winning seven of 12 encounters. Notably, Juventus has never lost at home in a Champions League opener, with six wins and three draws.

Dortmund, however, often struggles when traveling to Italy. They have only won one of their last seven away games against Serie A clubs, losing five.

Real Madrid vs. Marseille (September 17, 2 AM). Real Madrid has won all four Champions League group stage matches against Marseille. At home, the royal team has only lost once in 17 matches against French teams, a 1-0 defeat to PSG in the 1993-1994 Cup Winners' Cup.

Kylian Mbappe remains Real's attacking hope, having scored in the opening round of the Champions League for three consecutive seasons.

Marseille often struggles in Spain, with five losses, two draws, and only one win in their last eight away games against La Liga teams. In their last 21 Champions League group stage matches, Marseille has lost 18 and won only three. They have also lost six of their last seven opening matches in the competition.

Bayern Munich vs. Chelsea (September 18, 2 AM). The clash at the Allianz Arena recalls the 2012 Champions League final, where Chelsea won their first title after a dramatic penalty shootout.

The two teams last met in the round of 16 of the 2019-2020 season, with Bayern winning 3-0 in London and 4-1 at home. However, Bayern and Chelsea have never met in the Champions League group stage.

Bayern is on a 34-match unbeaten run at home in Champions League group stage matches (32 wins, 2 draws) since a 3-2 loss to Man City in December 2013. They have also won their last 21 Champions League opening matches, keeping a clean sheet in 18 of them. The last time Bayern didn't win their opening match was in September 2002, when they lost 3-2 to Deportivo La Coruna.

Liverpool vs. Atletico Madrid (September 18, 2 AM). Liverpool has won all four of its recent Champions League matches against Spanish opponents, including two against Atletico in the 2021-2022 season (3-2 away, 2-0 at home). They also defeated both Real Madrid and Girona in the 2024-2025 group stage.

Anfield continues to be a fortress for Liverpool. They have won 14 consecutive European Cup group stage matches at home, scoring two or more goals in their last 13 and keeping nine clean sheets in their last 12. The English team has also won 9 of their last 14 Champions League opening matches (3 draws, 2 losses).

Atletico, meanwhile, has struggled against English teams in the Champions League, with four draws, four losses, and only one win in their last eight matches. However, Atletico has scored in 15 of their last 16 group stage matches and has only lost two of their last 15 Champions League opening matches.

PSG vs. Atalanta (September 18, 2 AM). Reigning champions PSG have five wins, six draws, and only one loss in their last 12 matches against Serie A teams. This includes a 2-1 victory over Atalanta in the 2019-2020 Champions League quarter-finals. PSG has also won its last three Champions League opening matches.

But Atalanta is also a tough opponent. Apart from their loss to PSG in 2019-2020, they have only suffered one defeat in their last five matches against French teams. The Serie A club has scored in 21 of their last 23 group stage matches and has also found the net in their last 15 European Cup away games.

Man City vs. Napoli (September 19, 2 AM). Man City usually performs well at home against Italian teams, with four wins, four draws, and only one loss in their last nine such matches.

Pep Guardiola's team is unbeaten in their last 21 Champions League group stage matches at the Etihad (18 wins, 3 draws) and has scored three or more goals in 13 of their last 16 home matches.

Besides the on-field action, the highlight of this match is Kevin De Bruyne's return to the Etihad to face his former club. The Belgian midfielder won six Premier League titles and one Champions League during his 10 years at Man City before moving to Napoli in the summer of 2025.

Newcastle vs. Barca (September 19, 2 AM). The two teams have met four times in European competitions, with Barca winning three and Newcastle one. The "Magpies'" only victory came in the opening match of the 1997-1998 Champions League, a 3-2 win at home.

At St. James’ Park, Newcastle is always a tough team to beat, winning 21, drawing 7, and losing only 3 of their last 31 European Cup matches. Newcastle has also won four and lost only two of their last six home matches against Spanish teams.

Barca has a good record against English teams, winning eight, drawing seven, and losing only two of their last 17 Champions League matches. In opening matches, the Catalan giants have won 20 of 29. Robert Lewandowski is in excellent form with 9 goals in his last 7 group stage matches, while Raphinha has scored 16 goals in his last 16 Champions League matches.

Similar to last season, the 36 teams in the 2025-2026 Champions League will compete in a single league format. Each team will play eight matches, with the top eight teams advancing directly to the round of 16. The remaining eight spots will be determined through playoffs between the teams ranked 9th to 24th, while the teams ranked 25th to 36th will be eliminated.

Hong Duy

Photo: Reuters, AP