On the night of 16/9 and the early morning of 17/9, the familiar Champions League anthem will resonate throughout European stadiums. In the first two days of the group stage, matches between representatives from Spain and England promise unpredictable results.

Amidst a series of injuries to key players, Arsenal must travel to Bilbao's San Mames – a team also uncertain about the return of star striker Nico Williams after his injury with the Spanish national team. This is Bilbao's first return to the Champions League group stage in 11 years.

Tottenham hosting Villarreal presents a match with many variables. Coach Thomas Frank makes his debut in this prestigious European tournament and is transforming Tottenham with a scientific and tenacious style of play. Marcelino is also a calculating strategist on the opposing side. In their few Champions League appearances, Villarreal have achieved good results, such as reaching the semi-finals in the 2005-2006 and 2021-2022 seasons.

Real Madrid also begins with a home game against Marseille. Real is considered the favorite thanks to their strong squad and quality of play under coach Xabi Alonso. But Marseille still has players who can cause upsets, such as Mason Greenwood or veteran Aubameyang, who has a knack for scoring against Real.

Finally, there's the match that rekindles the 1997 final between Juventus and Dortmund. Both are in excellent form in their domestic leagues, especially Igor Tudor's Juventus with a three-match winning streak in Serie A.

Hoang Thong - Duy Phuong