Champions League news

Chelsea endured a disappointing return to the Champions League as they succumbed to a Harry Kane double in a 3-1 loss at Bayern Munich on Wednesday evening. The Blues - competing in Europe’s premier club competition for the first time since 2022-23 - played well for large spells but they could not build on Cole Palmer’s brilliant first-half strike as the German champions emerged victorious at the Allianz Arena.

Liverpool have only gone and done it again! For the fifth game in a row, the relentless Reds managed to win a game that appeared destined to end in a draw by netting a late winner. This time, captain Virgil van Dijk was Liverpool's hero, heading home a 92nd-minute corner from Dominik Szoboszlai to earn his side a 3-2 victory over Atletico Madrid at Anfield.

Gianluigi Donnarumma joked about not taking his mother to the Etihad Stadium for the Champions League opener against Napoli on Thursday. The Manchester City goalkeeper, who arrived at the end of the summer transfer window, revealed that his family members are big supporters of the current Serie A champions. However, he remains determined on helping his new team kick-off their continental campaign with a win.

Bayern Munich beat Chelsea 3-1 in a breathless, end-to-end Champions League thriller on Wednesday evening. The Bavarians, against the run of play, had the lead after 20 minutes. Michael Olise fronted up Joao Pedro in his own box and beat him with his rapid feet before crossing into the six-yard box, where Trevoh Chalobah inadvertently turned the ball into his own goal.

Newcastle legend Alan Shearer has delivered a fiery warning to Barcelona ahead of their Champions League opener, insisting the Spanish heavyweights won’t find life easy at St James’ Park. The Magpies icon, speaking ahead of Thursday night’s clash, believes his old club are more than capable of denting Barca’s campaign and snatching vital points on home soil.

Pep Guardiola has hinted he is surprised Manchester City are "apparently" not one of favourites to win this season's Champions League. City get their 2025-26 European campaign under way on Thursday evening when they play host to Serie A champions Napoli at the Etihad Stadium.

Benfica announced their decision to part ways with Bruno Lage with immediate effect after their shock defeat to Azerbaijani side Qarabag in the Champions League opener on Tuesday. On Wednesday morning, Lage, while speaking to reporters, wished Jose Mourinho "best of luck". Mourinho has been linked with the Benfica role and it is understood that he is keen on taking over at the Estadio da Luz.

Liverpool have ended a 417-match unbroken run of naming a homegrown player in their starting XI for a European fixture. The Reds face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday, and Arne Slot has not named a single English player in his team. There are four homegrown players on the bench, however.

Liverpool have named Alexander Isak in their starting lineup to take on Atletico Madrid in their first Champions League game of the season on Wednesday night. This will mark the Sweden international's debut for the Reds following his £125m move from Newcastle United over the summer. He was notably left out of the squad to face Burnley on Sunday afternoon.

Monaco's Champions League journey began in chaos after their flight to Bruges descended into scenes straight out of a comedy sketch. With the air conditioning system completely out, Paul Pogba's teammates were forced to take off their clothes and sit in nothing but underwear as the cabin transformed into a sweltering sauna.

Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has been directly linked to the Barcagate scandal after police uncovered WhatsApp messages showing he monitored a paid social media campaign designed to attack rivals and even Pep Guardiola. Investigators allege Bartomeu concealed contracts, manipulated polls, and used fake accounts to boost his image before the 2021 elections.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has revealed Curtis Jones is expected to be fit for Saturday's Merseyside derby against Everton. The midfielder is poised to return after picking up a knock in the Reds’ 1-0 Premier League victory over Arsenal before the international break.

Ally McCoist has explained why Eberechi Eze had a poor Champions League debut as he blamed another Arsenal player for preventing the former Crystal Palace star from realising his full potential. A gritty Athletic Club side at San Mames pushed Mikel Arteta’s men to their limits before late goals from substitutes Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli sealed a hard-fought 2-0 win.

A 10-man Real Madrid came from behind to beat Marseille 2-1 in their Champions League opener at the Santiago Bernabeu, but it wasn’t a perfect night for everyone. Youngster Arda Guler was at fault for Marseille’s early opener. After the match, coach Xabi Alonso addressed the mistake, but also made it clear that the Turkish talent has his full backing.

Samuel Umtiti has officially retired at just 31, bringing an end to a career that promised so much but was derailed by chronic knee injuries. The 2018 World Cup winner enjoyed highs with Lyon, Barcelona and France, but is now ready to take on a new challenge. Umtiti revealed his "ultimate goal" is to move into coaching, saying he has already started preparing for life on the touchline.

Inter head coach Cristian Chivu has urged the fans to stop "throwing stones" at goalkeeper Yann Sommer after his disastrous performance did little to prevent his side from losing to Juventus over the weekend. Chivu remains confident in the Swiss international's experience and abilities, adding that Sommer will retain his place in the starting lineup against Ajax in the Champions League opener.

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank has given a brutally honest verdict on the partnership between new signing Xavi Simons and Djed Spence after seeing Spurs beat Villarreal 1-0 in their opening Champions League match of the 2025-26 campaign. An early own goal from Yellow Submarine goalkeeper Luiz Junior ensured Tottenham took all three points in a narrow win in north London.