The UEFA Champions League is back with another edition, and we are on the first day of Matchday 1, as surely we have some exciting matches lined up. There are two different kick-off timings for all the league phase matches. First is an early kick off which starts at 6:45 PM CET (10:15 PM IST), and the other is the usual kick off time which is 9 PM CET (12:30 AM IST). Let us have a look at the UEFA Champions League 25/26 Matchday 1 Predictions.
With eye-catching matches, we will see a lot of players playing tonight who have the potential to end up as the player of the tournament. Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius will be in action as it will be Xabi Alonso’s first match as a manager of Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League.
Arsenal’s new signings will also be in action, with Vitor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi in form. There are also teams such as Juventus, Dortmund, Benfica, Spurs, Villarreal, and more playing. They too have some ballers in their team.
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UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 25/26 Matchday 1 Predictions (16th September) – Athletic Club v Arsenal| Real Madrid v Marseille| Juventus v Dortmund
Athletic Club v Arsenal Predictions
This will be one of the first matches of the UEFA Champions League 2025/2026. It will start at 6:45 CET, whereas it will be 10:15 IST. Estadio de San Mames in Bilbao is the venue for the game. Arsenal, in the previous match, played a complete game, dominating Nottingham Forest in the Premier League. At the same time, Athletic Club lost its last match against Deportivo Alaves at this venue.
Arsenal might not have the home advantage, but the form they are in surely is hard to stop. Martin Zubimendi will return to Spain. In the last two matches, Athletic Club have been on the losing side and have not scored a goal. Both matches were on their home turf, and that is concerning. We are predicting Arsenal to win the match.
Scorline Prediction: Athletic Club 1-3 Arsenal
Real Madrid v Marseille Predictions
The 15-time European Champions, Real Madrid, will start their UEFA Champions League 2025/2026 campaign by facing Marseille at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. Eventually, the match will start at 9 PM CET, whereas it will start at 12:30 AM IST (17th September).
Real Madrid are the team in form as they have won all four of their matches in La Liga so far. Marseille, on the other hand, has two wins and two losses in its four matches.
Kylian Mbappe is unstoppable at this moment as he has four goals and one assist for Real Madrid. His partnership with Arda Guler is just a joy to watch. Real Madrid are yet to concede from open play. Marseille has some ballers as well.
They have Mason Greenwood, who creates a lot of goals. We are predicting Real Madrid to win this match.
Scorline Prediction: Real Madrid 4-0 Marseille
Juventus v Dortmund Predictions
This is surely going to be the match on the first day of Matchday 1 in the UEFA Champions League 2025/2026. Juventus will play Borussia Dortmund at the Allianz Stadium. The kick-off time of this match is 9 PM CET, whereas it starts at 12:30 AM IST (17th September).
Juventus has just recently won a 4-3 thriller against Inter and made it three wins in three matches in the Serie A. Dortmund, on the other hand, has two wins in their three matches in the Bundesliga.
Both teams have a lot of young ballers on their team. Serhou Guirassy, the joint highest goal scorer in the previous edition, will be in action. Kenan Yildiz, who is surely the best player at Juventus, will prove his worth again. We are predicting Juventus to win the match as they have a home advantage and are in form.
Scorline Prediction: Juventus 3-1 Dortmund
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