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Dubai: The Champions League returns with a star-studded night of European football, headlined by Real Madrid’s clash with Inter Milan.
Two of the competition’s most decorated sides meet at the Santiago Bernabeu as the battle for early supremacy gets underway.
Pressure on already for Mourinho?
For Madrid manager Jose Mourinho, the meeting carries an added sense of nostalgia, with the Portuguese facing the club he famously guided to Champions League glory in 2010.
His first spell at Real Madrid brought domestic success, including a La Liga title and Copa del Rey triumph, but the Champions League remained the elusive prize during his time in the Spanish capital.
His re-appointment was viewed by some as a gamble, but Mourinho has returned with the opportunity to prove his critics wrong at one of Europe’s biggest clubs.
One word always follows Madrid…expectation, and Mourinho will know better than most that the Los Blancos faithful will expect nothing less than to see their side lifting the Champions League trophy come the end of the season.
Madrid made a positive start to the season, winning all three of their opening La Liga games. But they come into this one off the back of a disappointing away defeat to Real Betis, and another slip-up here could quickly turn the mood inside the Bernabeu.
Inter enter with form
The 2024/25 finalists will be looking to spoil the party in the Spanish capital as they open their Champions League campaign with one of the toughest tests imaginable. They arrive in Madrid in excellent form, having won all three of their Serie A games so far this season and finding the net nine times across those victories.
There is an intriguing link between the two dugouts, Inter are now managed by former player Cristian Chivu, who was appointed head coach last summer.
Chivu was a key member of Mourinho’s treble-winning Inter side in 2009/10, which lifted the Serie A title, Coppa Italia and Champions League, meaning he knows exactly what it takes to succeed under the Portuguese boss.
UAE fans can watch every Champions League match live and exclusively on beIN SPORTS, which holds the broadcasting rights for UEFA’s club competitions across the MENA region.
Other fixtures
AEK Athens v LASK: AEK will be looking to make home advantage count as they return to the Champions League league phase for the first time since 2018/19, while LASK are making their debut at this stage of the competition. The Greek side have also won nine of their last 11 European home games.
Club Brugge v Aston Villa: Villa face a tricky trip to Belgium, with Club Brugge having an impressive record at home in Europe. Unai Emery’s side, though, arrive with plenty of European pedigree of their own after winning the Europa League last season.
Borussia Dortmund v Villarreal: Dortmund welcome Villarreal to Germany looking to start their European campaign strongly. The sides met last season, with Dortmund running out 4-0 winners, and BVB will be confident of another strong home performance.
Porto v Manchester City: Manchester City begin their Champions League campaign with a difficult trip to Porto. The Portuguese giants have extensive experience in this competition, and will hope to City’s cobwebs of the 2021 final defeat inside the Estadio do Dragao to their advantage.
Lille v Real Betis: Lille host Real Betis in another evenly matched contest, with Betis looking to carry the confidence from their recent victory over Real Madrid into Europe. Lille, meanwhile, will be hoping home advantage can give them the perfect start to their league-phase campaign.
